Daily Kennebec journal., 1916-03-28

Concord, N. H.. March 27.-Criti-
cisms of methods employed by Off
cials OF the Boston & Maine Railroad
Co. and its subsidiaries in this state
in the expenditure Of money to in
fluence legislation are contained in a
report Of the state Public Service
Commission. made public today.
Political activities by railroad man.
agers." says the report. ARE entirely
foreign to the purpose for which rail-
road corporations are established.
Their business is to serve the public,
not to govern it."
Result Of Investigation
The report is the result of an in
vestigation undertaken by the commits
sion in response to a resolution passed
by the House Of Representatives in
April 1915, calling for an inquiry into
payments of all kinds by railroads for
the purpose Of influencing legislation
Railroad corporations doing business
in New Hampshire were required to
file accounts Of political expenditures
from 1912 to 1915. and lengthy hear
ings were held.
Fight Against Grand Trunk
II was developed at the hearings
that the principal expenditures in this
period were in connection with the an
nounced intention of the Grand Trunk
Railway Co. to build line through
New Hampshire which would paraliel
portions Of the Concord and montreal
G. Northern Railroads. Boston & Name
lease lines, in order to give the Grahu
Trunl, direct entry into Boston. "A
c.mnaign in the interests OF leglsla-
t;on favorable to this project was ac-
+ive,,, conducted from February 10
November. 1912, by the Grand Trunk
md was actively opposed by the bos-
ron g. Maine. Late in that year, 'ne
commissions report says, tine uran'
Trunk and the Boston & Maine mace
an amicable adjustment Of their di1-
ferences and the Graho AioAA
drew from the field"
Grand Trunk Exonerated
r,a commission found no evidence
..at anv Of the money appropriated
~. t,o Grand Trunk for this campaign
vas spent illegally or Improperly.
"1+ 10 unfortunate" the report aous
..,t Tho money was spent at all as
hut
o,h;ne was accomplished by 'ue
~. ;s . matter beyond the scope u
this investigation" , of
Tn seeking to defeat the .,ss;on p.a
Tho Grand Trunk, the co thsn
ands that Charles S. Meiien'
nresident Of the Boston q Ma'ns, a,sn Nv
provea an Independent cai'pa.s .reo,
>yarthern and Concord & Mon'' o.
,s .ne ~ under the direction OF tneir re-
loae a.;,,a presidents. Alvah w. SuiioW".
speo' ne,iamin A. Kimball. 1t pens
anu s that the Boston & Maine wou.a
.s.,rsa the subsidiary corpora'lons
reiin ~ exnenditures. The commissioa
1or q" .na+ i "can see no merit IN ano
no creditable explanation -
ranseif nehaif Of the Boston & Mann
an.r n lawyers were empioyeo go a
p" ."sre raid s1s,244. Advertisemen'.,s. ',.or,a,s IL
were ~ newspapers. No eoitor'aiS
prl'' no;d for, but there were
esoas w. IT payment for articles -
s'an .,,,rns Of some papers con'ain'
ne"s eth,re to indicate that the ar
ins sra not impartial presentations
OF new" LARGE Legal Force :.
.S n the employment OF
.sn,,n w. w. Couch Of Concord cns,I
nan of the judiciary comm'' y, .e,, ,a,s
House Of Representative =" Mn,t-eaI
and 1e15. by the Concord q n Mo .ha !.
- was brought out at the hsaa ano :s ,oro
=. was paid a retainer OF *ioV" Ill.,. IA as..'
ana % received $3.50 in 1913 TOT seF''Se'