Daily Kennebec journal., 1916-02-24
Demanded Divorces

ctspoSdl OIL t.le hesa1A wv
Co. stock should be required within
three years: the securities Of all gas
electric and water companies should
be sold within Il similar period. ana
no four ni.1aii street railway compa-
Mes whicr iha New Haven owns d.
tecIy in Conhect!et.t would likewise
bs di>oTesti from ,,.e raiirond system.
, thc comm .sainn reported.
Five years was aet a. the titi1e
within which the road should aelt its
iatereat in the M.ilbrook Co and in its
real o,.tatc holdings in Park square IN
tnia ely. Eventual disposition of all
real estate a;.d other physical prop
erty rot owned or used for railroad
purposes should Be required in the
opinion of the commission.
The report recommended that the
New England Navigation Co. be dis
solved. and its assets and liabilities
taken over by the New Haven 20.
Dissolution vas recommended also
for tie Subway & Westchester Con-
struct.on Co. and Terminal Co.
Steamship Interests
The commission held that the New
Haven could properly retain interest
in it's steamship companies provided
the consent of the Interstate Com
merce Commission was secured. and
favored the retention also OF the New
Ravens interests in all controller
railroad companies except the Rut-
lard. including leased lines. The New
/ York Ontario & Western holdings.
however. il was reported. might well
be sold if the transaction could be ar
ranged without financial loss. Li!nita-
ton of the dividends Of the New Ha-
ven of not more than per cent. was
recommended by the commission.
Four Possible Courses
was necessary. the commission suggested
four possible courses to be pursued:
+ % A suit to restrain the unauthor-
ized acts such as was brought in the
case of the trolley companies.
~ Eevokation of the charter Of the
company by the general court.
(3) Forfeiture of the charter of the
company by legal proceedings.
4) Peaceful adjustment OF differences
by mutual agreement.
The last was advocated as the course
which should first be tried. In outlining
in general terms the basis upon which
such an adjustment should be made, the
commission stated:
The New Haven Co. differs from an in
dividual offender. 1t is part and very
vital part of the structure of the COM
munity. No important public interests
should be surrendered. but every effort
should be made to reach an adjustment
which will not cripple this agency of pub
lie transportation or hinder it from Sc
: curing the funds which are necessary to
its continued development.
Some things which the company did
without the consent of Massachusetts
may have been in the public interests;
! others most decidedly were not The
+ problem is to sift the good from the bad
and effect an adjustment which will at
least safeguard the future and go so far
past as can be done without detriment
! to the general welfare. The investiga-
tion which the commission has made has
been directed towards this end. We have
/ endeavored to analyze the entire New
| Haven system, disregarding that portion
which has been or is to be dopped off un-
der the decree of the federal court. with
! view to determining it's present de-
fects from the public point Of view; the
dangers to be avoided in the future and
the general public losses incurred in the
! building up of the system which ought.
so far as practicable. to be made good.
In announcing its belief that the New
Haven road should be allowed to
maintain control Of its steamship
properties, the commission laid down
a suggestion to the Interstate Com
merce Commission that the road be
allowed the control of the New Eng
land Steamship Co., and the New Bed
| ford. Martha's Vineyard and Nantuck-
ct Steamboat Co, with a requirement
| that it dispose of it's interest in the
Hartford & New York Transportation
! Co.