The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-10-23
RAIL ROADS
new HAVEN PROBE
Memories of Early Day COmpe-
titiOn Brought Out.
Story of E. p. Ripley's COnyer-
satiOn With a Reporter.

New York, Oct. 23.-Official steps
taken by the board of directors of the
New York, New Haven d Hartford
railroad, in pursuance of their alleged
| conspiracy to control the transporta-
! ton traffic of New England, were
placed before the jury at the trial of
the II New Haven directors Friday.
They were revealed in minutes of the
directors meetings and various letters
| written to or by Charles s. Mellen and
which Mr.. Mellen, witness for the
| government for the third successive
day, identified for the jury and in
some instances elucidated.
William Rockefeuer, Charles F.
BROKER, defendants, George MacCul-
loch Miller, a defendant not on trial,
and Chauncy Depew, alleged CO.
directors recorded as present at the
meetings who are still alive
The meetings were held in the early
nineties. and although bare in detail,
the minutes were intended by the gov
eminent to fit into evidence already
given by Mr.. Mellen to show the al
legged efforts of the New Haven to
dominate at that time the New Eng
land railroad situation. Frank L.
Swacker, the federal prosecutor, be-
gan by introducing over the protest of
the defense an agreement made by
the New England Steamship and Rail-
road lines in 1881, called the Sound
lines agreement, never before made
public whereby the Sound lines asso-
citation agreed to fix rates on traffic
and to impose $4,000 penalties for its
infraction. Then, through a resolu-
ton in the minutes of the board of di-
rectors' meeting held in 1891, a year
after the Sherman law was passed, he
showed that the directors had taken
official cognizance of the agreement
in a threat to cut on its joint traffic
arrangements with the New York &
New England road, which had notified
the association of it's intention to start
a new water route from Wilson's
Point, Conn, to New York.
Already the New Haven had taken
steps to prevent traffic coming into
New York by this route, as disclosed
in testimony given by Mr.. Mellen yes
terday through the socalled ''tripartite
agreement" whereby the New York
Central acquired control of the New
York and Northern and was to admin
lister 1t so that New England through
traffic would be excluded. The min
utes of the directors meeting intro
duced today appeared to indicate that
the New York Central did not live up
to it's agreement and was publishing
through traffics into New England
The evidence disclosed that the New
Haven charged the New York Central
Wi lad faith in the matter and steps
were taken by the New Haven board
to induce the Central to rectify the
matter.
Il have been informed by c. P.
said Mr.. Mellen, that the New York
and Northern was not to be COM
petitor of the New Haven, but / found
that tariffs had been published which
indicated an intention to become
competitor and I called them to the
attention of the president"
The minutes showed that confer
ences were had with the New York
Central, but that they proved unsuc-
cessful. Meantime, the New Haven
had been acquiring other strategic
roads in New England and, with the
intention, the government contends, of
forcing the New York Central to
terms, reduced rates to the west from
New England points in competition
with the New oYrk Central connection, |
the Boston and Albany. This, Mr.: Mel |
len explained, finally led to a traffic |
agreement between the New Haven |
and the New York Central which set
tied the rate question.
HE HAS A PLAN.
E. b. Cook Would Enlarge Number
of Trackmen.
E. B. Cook offers the following sug-
gestion which he believes will go far