New Britain herald., 1914-04-21
AGREEMENT RATIFIED BY STOCKHOLDERS
Directorate Decreased to 23 Win
 Minimum MembcIsh ? Of l5.

New Haven, Conn.,, April 21.-After short meeting in which there was some rambling discussion of the affairs of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad company to- day, the stockholders, in a special meeting here, voted by substantial majority to ratify the agreement of the board of directors with the at torney general of the United States to have entered a decree dismembering the system, and to adopt the amend nent to the bylaws decreasing the membership of the board of directors as provided for in the call fer the meeting. No specific opposition was expressed to the recommendation of the directors although Clarence H.. Venner of New York sent notice in writing that he opposed the dism em- berment and reserved the right to in terpose suits to stop action as pro- posed by the government
 The meeting was called specifically for this purpose. It was stated in ad- NdICc Ol IIlC iIAOCtiIS IAoC S0oSaoA Of the company's affairs would be kept within limits of the call. In effect should the agreement of the directors with the attorney general be ratified the New Haven company will be dd- vested of it's numerous subsidiaries except the Long Island Sound steamers, disposition of these to be a matter of determination later on.
 Many Other Matters.
 The meeting was called to act in brief, upon these matters, to consent to a court decree being entered in ac- cordance with the arrangement be- tween the attorney general and the directors, to authorize disposition of the stockholdings in the Boston and Maine railroad, the Connecticut com- pany, the Rhode Island company, the Berkshire Street Railway company, the Merchants and Miners company, the Eastern Steamship company, and in street railways operated in New York state.
 A proposed am mendment to the by laws is to reduce the directorate to twenty three instead of twenty-seven, with fifteen as the minimum number. uc uIICCLOi dlS dl pA OSCht 1o lVOhSJ three, four vacancies existing.
 Hall We'll Filled.
 Harmonic hall in which the meeting was held was we'll filled when Howard Falliott, chairman of the board of di- rectors, called it to order. In numbers the attendance was not as large as at the annual meeting in October. The directors present were: Messrs Bar ney, Taft, Hemingway, Brewster, Maxwell, Skinner, Elton. Robertson, Mcdarg, Milligan, Hustis, Crane and Elliott.
 In opening the meeting MT. Elliott said: "Gentlemen, and then he added, land ladies, as I see many ladies present.
 Majority Was Present.
 The tellers who had previously been named, w. s. Pardee and c. H. Hemp stead reported that 915,264 shares of stock were represented in the meeting and accordingly under the bylaws the meeting was regularly constituted, as a majority of the stock was rep re sented.
 Secretary A. E. Clark of the com pany read the printed call for the meeting.
 Each stockholder was supplied with a copy of the address by Howard Elliott giving a survey of the con- dition of the company.
 The board of railroad trainmen sent it's proxy through Walter McMeninem to MT. Elliott, saying that they wanted thus to show their appreciation of his kindness and fairness in dealing with their organiza tion.
 Two Motions Offered. .-
 MT. Elliott explained the nature of the printed ballot which also had been distributed to those present. A. Heaton Robertson, a director, offered in writ irg two motions, enc to authorize the directors to assent to the court decree being entered as set forth in the call, and the other, amending the bylaws relating to the directorate.
 It was voted without objection that in voting the ballot be cast in both motions as one. Stockholders were asked to prepare their ballots at once to be deposited in a box in front of the chairman's table.
 Government Will Win.
 MT. McClintock of Springfield, who represented 1,500 shares said that he knew the sentiments of those hold ing the shares. He said that the stockholders are facing a condition, not a theory. We are here to dis cuss purely a business proposition,'' he said. We must swallow our pride. We must do the best We can under the circumstances. We ought to see the wisdom of the negotiations entered into by the officers of the road. It is all we'll enough to say fight but the government has been fighting othcr organizations just as