The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-05-26
Calls Mellen's Testimony
False in Many In
stances
LATTER HAD FREE
HAND WITH NEW HAVEN
Son of Financier Declares His Father
Had No Time to NEEDLE With Rail
road Affairs Believed in Absorb
ton of Boston & Maine.

road Ana1rS-BeneVeu IN ADSOrp-
ton of Boston & Maine
NEW YORK, May 26.-J. P. Nor
gan last night characterized as untrue
the testimony Of Charles S. Mellen,
former head of the New York, New /
Haven and Hartford railroad, before |
the interstate commerce commission in
Washington last week, that J. Pierpont |
Morgan coneealed from Mr.. Mellen
facts regarding the New Haven road
which Mr. Mellen should have known.
Mr. Morgan offered to produce before
any proper tribunal at any time the
records of J p Morgan & Co. and the
personal records of his father. Taking
fun responsibility upon himself for the
change in the road s presidency by
which Mr. Mellen resigned and gave
way to another, Mr. Morgan said it
was untrue that his father in any sense
took from Mr., Mellen the mana cement
of the road or any part of its affairs.
Regarding the absorption of the
Boston & Maine by the New Haven,
Mr.. Morgan said his father deemed it
| advisable for the public benefit, since
it was recognized by others as well as
| by the late Mr.. Morgan himself, that
/ changing economic conditions threat
ened the commercial position Of New
England
Mr. Morgan s statement last night
was his first direct reply to Mr.. Mel
! len s Washington testimony, which he
examined, he said, from a stenographic
/ report. The statement read:
I !. ~
Haven railroad in April, 1913, and re-
signed December 81 of the same year
The only reference to me personally
which | have found in Mr.. Mellen !
testimony has to do with the fact that
/, |, as director of the company, called
upon him and told him that a change
in the presidency was desirable. Fol
any blame that attaches TO that act
whether it be accorded me as a mem
: Der Of the board of directors, or as NJ
individual, | accept full and complet,
: responsibility
''There is, however. in Mr.. Mellen
testimony something more important t
me than any possible criticism of my
self. Mr.. Mellen in substance charge
: my father with having concealed iron
: him, the president of the company
facts which the president of the com
{ pany should have known Every on
: who knew my father knows this to b
I untrue. During the last 10 years 0
L. my father s life he was abroad NOR
(. than one third of the time During tn
I last three years of his life he wa
! abroad onehalf of the time. AS tn
;. world knows, he was actively conncc
+ ed during this whole period with man
Y different affairs. That he would hav
If had the time, even if he had the d
= sire, to interfere actively in the ma
:, agement of the New Haven is impo
q sibe.
y Mr. Mellen is right in describir
"a my father as a foreeful man. He
= right also in picturing my father
e, deep interest in New Haven affair
IS My father was born in New Englan
or and he believed in the New Hav,
IS, railroad. He recognized, as othe
n have recognized, that with the shiftil
tt of the center of population in til
= country, with the changing econom
conditions, the commercial position
New England was threatened, and tn
re- a change in this commercial positi
ur would, unless an effort were made
ur counteract it, result in an unfavorat
~, effect upon New England s leadil
IE a railroad peculiarly situated as is t
Id, New Haven, with a growing passens
traffic at very low rates, and with
-, pensive improvements required
along its line, must make every eff
20 increase its traffic and maintain
1 position. He believed, moreover, II
the New Haven and the Boston
Maine, which were not in his opin
in any sense competing lines, could
operated to the benefit of New +
land more advantageously togetl
than apart, and that no harm co
come to the public from this anal
nation by reason of the full meas
Of state and national regulation VIII
the laws afforded. | am quite ready
believe, also that he agreed with
Mellen that the entrance of the CIR.
Trunk railways into Providence wo
- have involved the unnecessary dupli
- tien of facilities for which the n
- England public sooner or later wo
have had TO pay. But the imputat
that my father in any sense took
W management Of the railroad, or
Il part of its affairs, out of the hands
the president, is untrue
he "On the 9th day of March of |
year our firm made public a let
TX SHOWING III uetalI the total net pre-
from every source of the firm of j.
Morgan & Co. or to any of its nj
bers, growing out of transactions
any kind whatever, connected with
ne New Haven lines, for a period of
years. These total net profits amour
IN to approximately $350,o00, which
- cluded their compensation for hands
L alone or in connection with others,
Ill curities of the par value of $685.
600.
"The records of my firm and the
sonal records of my father are still
- tact; they are available and ready
" production before any proper tribr
at any time. In the present state
the New Haven 5 affairs the sh
holders are entitled to have made |
lie every obtainable bit of evide
- bearing not on one but on all sides