Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1915-11-05
LETTERS feature
DIRECTORS CASE
Alleged Action by New Haven
to Crush Competitor.
ALL IN MELLEN MISSIVES.
New England Road Characterized as
"our Bitterest Antagonist"-New
Liaht on an Old Story-The
Governments Contention.

New Haven.-Letters to and from
Charles S. Mellen, which he identified
for the jury in the trial. at New York,
of the eleven present and former direc-
tors of the New York, New Haven
q and Hartford railroad on the charge
of monopolizing New England's trans
portation traffic, furnished written evil
dence of the steps taken by the New
! Haven road to crush its principal
competitor, the New York and New
England Railroad company.
The letters dating back to 1898 and
1894, set forth that action taken by
i the New Haven to require the pre-
payment of freight charges by the New
England on traffic interehanged be-
tween the two roads at connecting
points, and the steps taken to induce
the trunk line railroads outside of
New England to route their traffic over
the New Haven instead of over the
New England road which had connect.
ed with them by way of the Pough-
keepsie bridge over the Hudson river.
Our bitterest antagonist" was the
appellation given to the New Eng
land in one letter Mr.. Mellen wrote to
Charles p Clark, president of the New
Haven, in discussing the question OF
the business the New England was
getting from the Jersey Central, the
Baltimore and Ohio Mr.. Mellen was
then second vice president in charge
of traffic.
What Randolph Wrote.
Your whole intention seems to be
to drive us out of business if you can,
wrote H. C. Randolph, then general
traffic manager of the New England,
to Mr.. Mellen in protesting against the
requirement for the prepayment OF
freight charges. This was at a time
when the witness had previously tes-
tilted, the New England's finances
were on the ragged edge
Mr. Mellen wrote back, December
-, 1893, that mo railroad is bound
under any existing law to make joint
rates, billing or divisions with any
other railroad, unless it finds it is for
its interest to do SO. What you aim
at is to continue taking business to
or from our local points by absorbing
our arbitrary (rate) and then expect
us to furnish the necessary capital Or
credit to help you deprive our stock
holders of their earnings. You ask us
to advance you the cash as expenses,
your earnings on business to local
points on our line, well knowing that
we must give two or three weeks Gre
dit before we can make a collection.
Rudolph replied protesting that his
road was being Disseminated against
to which the New Haven vice presi-
dent replied that he might wait and
see" whether the rule was not applied
to other roads with which the New
Haven connected.
WAS that rule applied to other
roads?" asked Frank l.. Swacker the
examining attorney for the govern
ment.
Going Back Some.
well, that was so long ago that
don't remember" replied the witness.
1t is the governments contention
that the rule was devised for the sole
purpose of injuring the New England.
To prove that the New Haven ofnclals
had no other purpose in mind the gov
eminent attorney introduced letters,
apparently satirically exchanged be-
tween Mr.. Mellen and c. Peter Clark,
general freight agent of the Old Colo
ny, and a son of Charles P. Clark. The
old Colony. one of the lines the New
Haven had already absorbed, connect
ed with the New England at Waipole,
Mass. Mr.. Mellen wrote that he had
no doubt that Clark could fix up a
good letter that will draw tears TO the
eyes of those who receive it, letting
them know that we are only driven to
this by dire necessity
Clark explained that young Pal
mer" had just come to the Old Colony
at a lower salary than he had been
receiving at a time when he was Just
about to have been married. And the
poor fellow has been waiting, waiting
ever since. / think his mournful APP
pearanee will enable him to do ample
justice to the sad side of this unior-
tunate business"
MeIIen Joins in Laughter.
There was a broad smile on Mr.. Mel
lens face while the letters were beng
read and he joined in the laughter THAI
followed.
There surely will be circus when
Clark gets back" wrote Mr.. Melen to
a subordinate official in 1894 in re-
gard TO the business the New England
had been recently getting from Ms
trunk line connections IF there Is
one thing Mr.. Clark won't put up with,
ii is this roads not being able to hold
its own with the New England.
The New Haven, subsequently, let
tiers revealed. had traffic arrange
ment with the Pennsylvania railroad
for it's through freight in and out OF
New England and began negotiations
with the Lehigh Valley, the Jersey
Central. the Reading. and the Baiti-
more & Ohio TO get their business also.
but only on condition that they should
rcaSa caudinp fr hy the New England