Norwich bulletin., 1921-04-28
Would Have TrO|Ieys Returnedt0N. H. Road
Hearing Before the Committee on Railroads Proposed by
 Public Utilities Commission.

Hartford. April 27.-The committee on railroads this afternoon gave a heari1. on the proposal put forth by the public utilities commission in its recent re- port on trolley conditions, that the state Esk the3 federal court of southern New lork to restore to the New York. New Haven and Hartford Railroad company the Connecticut Company. which for sew en years has been in the hands of federal trustees -
 The proposition was presented by the public utilities commission through Chairman Higgins. The New Haven roads attitude was outlined by Vice President E. c. Buckland, and that of the federal trustees by George D. Wa trous of New Haven and Edward NJ Day of Hartford. The trustees figured only incidentally. Mfr. wstrous explaining that they did not fel that it was necessary for them to appear in person.
 Speaking for the trustees, Mir. Watrous said that they did not wish to appear to oppose the idea of transfer They had aothing to do with procedures which Nplaced them in the trusteeship. he said. 10 question of policy is raised and there is simply nothing to say" If or dered to return the trolley property they would do so. and Mir. Watrous thought some of them would do so cheerfully. The trustees merely are the custodi- ans of the stock and Mir watrous, dis agreeing with Chairman Higgins. saic he thought the trystees could sell part of the property if a purchasers for a portion of it appeared @
 Mr. Buckland gave a review af con ditions which brought about Inc Con. necticut company's difficulties. his aris ing from court decision in Massachu setts over an issue of debentnres vh.ch the court he'd, required approval of tn, commission there. The attorney genera under President Taft found that tho New Haven road, in operating it's troi ley lines was not violating the Sherman law. In President Wilson's administration Attorney General McReynolds held ther was 2 violation. This resulted in cour ] proceedings and the trusteeship for tn 1 Connecticut Company.
 In the course of the hearing Mir. Buck | land was asked how the New Haven TO, l got into the condition which deprived ! I of the trolley lines, and he said "It wa : blackja cked." He declared that the Ney Haven road never violated the Sherman 1 law. He suggested in reply to ques tion from the committee, that any ac l ton by the legislature be "in good Eng | fish so that anyone could read :" tha | stress be laid on the states wish to hay the trolley properties returned to stat jurisdiction. and that the states poll cy be in line with that of the Taft ad
 ministration.
 I Answering questions from the commit
 tee MT. Watrous said that the Con
 necticnt Sompany was three or fou
 years behind in taxes. Mir. Day though
 the amount was about s2,ooo,ooo an l said. the finance connuittee was trying 1
 make a tax exemption bill to cover tn years in arrears. Asked why the stat | did not sue for taxes, MT. Day sai that there was no meanA of recovery an
 judgment would mean that the stat | might have to operate the property.
 was brought out that the federal trus tees get S31.00 a year, in, all, and <tha
 they get. their salaries. regularly.
 MT. Buckland said that as an economi
 question the property ought to he opel
 ated as a whole. He said the New Hs
 ven road had nothing to do with tn | property and he was by law stoppe
 from discussing the trusteeship. He sai
 the companv's investment was s44.00o
 900 the company thought the propert
 Continued on Page Eight, Col. si,