Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-12-09
FOU CHIT Grand
ENTRANCE
INTO NEW ENGLAND
Mellen Admits Also New Ha.
VEINS Plan to Parallel Cen
trail VermOnt's Lines
in Vermont.

New York, Dec 2.--Charles S. Mallen
former president of the New York, New
Haven & Hartford railroad, admitted on
the stand to-day at the trial of the eleven
former directors Of the road that some
$4,000 in New Haven money had been
spent III efforts to block proposed ex-
tensions of the Grand Trunk railway Of
Canada into New England. He also
testified that. after bargaining over a
period Of four years. the two roads
finally reached in November, 1918, a
traffic agreement, and that coincidentally
the Grand Trunk gave up its proposed ex-
tension from Palmer. Mass, to Provi-
dence, r. l., and the New Haven
abandoned on the same day plan to
parallel the Grand Trunks lines in YER
mont.
This is the agreement upon which the
United States government had scarcely
a week after it was reached caused the
federal grand jury in New York to in
vestigate. with the result that Mellen,
Edison J. Chamberlin. president of the
Grand Trunk, and Alfred W. Smithers,
chairman, were indicted under the Sher-
man law The indictment was dropped
but the charges contained therein form
perhaps the most important of the allega-
tions against the defendants in this
case.
The traffic agreement which Mellen
said was to put the two roads ION a
friendly relationship for % years was
the elimination according to his testi-
mony of several conferences between
himself, Smithers and Chamberlin. The
trial adjourned to-day before it was put
into evidence, but. according to letter
prepared by Mellen on October %, 1918,
to be sent to Chamberln. 1t provided
that the Grand Trunk should enter New
England ION the most favored nation
basis which included joint trackage and
traffic arrangements which gave the
Grand Trunk access to the New Haven's
territory.
The real fight between the two roads,
1t appeared from Mellen's testimony,
began in 1910, after a meeting between
himself and the late C. H. Hays, then
president Of the New Haven, as the re-
suit Of which Mellen thought 1t had been
arranged for the Grand Trunk to sell the
New London Northern road to the New
Haven, and for the New Haven to trans
fer the New York. Ontario G. Western
to the Grand Trunk and thus settle their
difficulties. Hays without any warning
soon after delivered his manifesto" that
he was going tn build n Palmer-Provi-
dence extension, Mellen said. The New
Haven 1t appeared then took steps to
oppose the line. Because the Grand Trunk
| proposed he said to make use Of New
Havens facilities in Providence and to
eliminate grade crossings, entailing ex-
pense to the New Haven. he opposed the
charter III the Rhode Island Legislature
He also got loan from the New Haven
! board Of directors and spent $4,000 ir
| the collection and dissemination of in
formation to show that the Grand Trunk
was violating obligations to the Canadian
government in building the extension. He
| got authority also to seek a right Of way
for a line between South Bridge and
Palmer, Mass, over the same route pro-
posed by the Grand Trunk, but failed.
After that Mellen said he bought a
couple Of farms in that neighborhood. one
Of which was peculiarly valuable as a
location for railroad"
Between $4,000 and 10000 Of New Haver
money also was spent, Mr.. Melen testified
in opposing a proposition by the Grand
Trunk to extend its lines from White
River Junction, VT. to Boston. The Grand
Trunk, he said. was doing "a lot Of news
paper work and hiring lawyers" to pro.
mote the enterprise. and the New Haver
ORGANIZED counter demonstration.
The New Haven also. he said, took step.
to extend one Of the subsidiary lines Of tn,
Boston & Maine. near the New Hamp
shire border, known as the Sullivan coun
ty road. parallelng the Central Vermont
the Grand Trunks line
While the fight was going on c. NJ. Hay!
lost his life on the Titanic and was sue
ceeded by Mr.. Chamberlin.