Norwich bulletin., 1915-04-09
EASTERN CONN.
 BANQUET
(Continued from page flve.)

chusetts in 1883. The first earth was turned on November IS, 1885, when there WAS a parade and banquet here and operation of the road began April l, 1S4e-just 75 years ago-and 1t is now a part of the New Haven ,sys- tenn
 The first through conductor over the road was Thomas Tucker, afterwards landlord of the American house and the Lincoln house. Of interest, too, is CT Of the Adams Express company, started that company by establishing a route between New York and New London and Norwich on the boat lines, and over the Norwich and Worcester and the Boston and Worcester rail reads to Boston His first agencies were in New London and Norwich.
 RaiIroading Then and Now.
 In those early days one freight train and three passenger trains ran week days. but not cn Sundays. for the di- rectors passed resolution that it was wrong to do so and that "there was no pecunfary gain to any man or set of men by violating the Sabbath" :" Good doctrine, but difficult to carry out under the complicated conditions of modern life, and yet 1t is the de- sire of the New Haven management to reduce Sunday service as far as is req sonable. Now the New Haven runs here seven freight trains daily and two on Sundays-16 passenger train daily and 10 on Sundays, a total of all trains in a year 1923.
 To show how the railroad system on which Norwich is situated has grown since the old Norwich and Worcester road was opened and what a compli cated machine it is,. he gave in brief some interesting statistics of the New Haven system as follows:
 The rails of the New Haven system, including the Central New England, represent 6o0,969 tons of steel which would build eight bridges like the Queensboro bridge in New York and is 10000 more tons of steel than is in all United States battleships.
 It's rails would stretch 9807 miles, 39 per cent of the distance around the earth at the equator. In the railroad are 100000 ties, which would stretch 20,7S3 miles, or s3 per cent of the dis tance around the earth at the equator. It has 222S bridges, 1924 of steel. These bridges would extend S1 miles, end to end. It has 1900 miles of telephone lines, 6675 miles of telegraph wires, 1903 telephones and $50 telegraph of fees.
 It has s7,241 freight cars, 24s5 pas senger cars,- 1282 steam locomotives and 1oS electric locomotives. He freight cars on an average move 673,- 6S5 miles a day; 2S,070 miles an hour It's passenger cars move 229,546 miles a day; 9564 miles an hour. Its loco motives move 91,06S miles a day; 3794 miles an hour.
 To supply its. locomotives with coal for year costs s5,6sS,755. To supply them with water for year costs $337 067. To supply them with oil costs $S9,57S. It has 964 stations and I'll station agents. It employs, including the Central New England, about 36, ,ooc persons to whom it pays out in wages annually $3O540,217. It carries about 27O,00 passengers each day, and handles nearly 50,00o separate freight transactions daily, and including pas senger freight, express and mail, it is furnishing transportation each day tc about 500.0oO people
 Department of Transportation.
 In the course of his long and inform ing address upon the railroad situd- ton, he advocated the establishment of department of transportation, with secretary of transportation, who would be member of the president S cabinet.
 ''The present condition of the Amer ican railroads is due in part" he said, to an effort on the part of the coun- try to fix rates and service by regu- lation and at the same time have fixed them by competition, thus creating an almost impossible condition, somewhat
 
 Tt Is a question how far it is to the public interest to apply the so-called antitrust law to the transportation business. Well organized, prudently managed and wisely regulated combi- nations of railroads may, in the long run, produce greater efficiency and ser vice to the public than excessive com petition, with the resulting duplication of facilities and increased expenses. To-day the government recognizes some of the great commercial activities Of its population by departments and cabinet officers, such as the secretary of the treasury, secretary of agricul- ture, secretary of commerce and secre- tary of labor The transportation bus iness of the United States is next tC agricuiture h importance. in volume anc in it's relation to the welfare oi the whole country, and it should have defender in the councils of the cab inet.
 T believe it would be we'll to have department of transportation, with g secretary of transportation at the head of 1t, who would be a member of the cabinet. Such a man would of neces- sity have to champion somewhat the rights and privileges of the transporta tien business, such as the secretaries of the treasury, commerce and labor speak for their particular subjects Such an officer would have g. whole some balancing effect between the democrats of the public and of tho regulatory organizations on one side and any errors of policy and manage l ment on the part of the owners of the property on the other side.'
 State Laws That Conflict. Referring to the New England rail. road situation, MT. Elliott said tha with conflicting laws in the diffe zen states it "calls attention very forc.bl, | to the desirability of a federal incor | poration act for those railroads, the majority of whose business is inter state"
 Exclusive federal Jurisdiction ovel corporate affairs of finance would no | interfere with the rights of states il matters of local regulation, he said and a simplif1cation of the relations be l tween the railroad and one centra | government agency as to financial ant corporate questions would save a grea ceal of time and energy now used b7 | officers in appearing before many dif' | ferent state organizations "apd giv, | them much more time to devote to de tails of management and to construct | i've work for efficiency, economy an: l improved service to the public" Trying for Better Conditions, l MT. Elliott said that the manage | ment of the New York, New HaveI and Hartford railroad has been trying l for the last IS months to bring ahou | tho more stable and better conditions | but that while progress had been mad T