New Britain herald., 1923-09-25
70 LIVES BELLEKED LOST WHEN SCOTCH MINERS ARE
 DROWNED M FLOODED PIT
WILLARD STRONG FOR R. R. CONSULTATIONS Urges New England Lines Merged Under One Re.
 sponsible Head

Boston. Sept. ?S,-panisl Willard,
 president Of the Baltimore and Ohio
 railroad strongly favored q eonsolida'
 ton Of all New England railroads. in-
 cluding the Boston and Albany. the
 Central Vermont and the New Eng
 land lines of the Grand Trunk and the Canadian Pacific in speaking today at
 the continued hearing before members
 of tho interstate commerce commits
 sion on the subject of consolidation.
 Mir. Willard reiterated his opposi. ton expressed before the commission
 last May to one of its tentative con- solidation plans whereby the Balti- more and Ohio would take over the N. Y. N. II. and H. railroad.
 Remarking that if the New Eng land roads demanded a greater share In the rate divisions for through traf- fc they ought to reduce their operat- ing costs and increase local revenues where possible. MT, Willard said:
 How can the New England rail- roads taken as whole. reduce their cost of transportation7 I am convinc- ed that the answer to that question is to be found in complete consolida- tion of all the lines within New Eng land and in no other way. If all the New England railroads could be op- erated as if owned in fact by one company under one chief responsible head. very great economies could be made"
 This chief could secure the maxi mum efficiency of the plant, he said, and could adjust necessary embargoes from one gateway to another. The ar he suggested would permit the greatest possible fexibility in the use of motive power.
 Mir. Willard opposed partial grouping of New England roads which would not. he asserted, permit the greatest economy in operation. The whole rate situation should be gone over, he declared, with the lowering of some rates and the raising of others, which would bring an increase of revenue without detriment to New England industry.
 ''The tentative plan of the inter- state commerce commission" he con tinued, proposes the consolidation of the Baltimore and Ohio, Central Railroad of New Jersey. Lehigh and New England and Lehigh and Hudson railroads. Such a consolidation, if brought about would provide a through line, all under one manage nent from Chicago, right through to ] direct connection with the New Haven road. The Baltimore and Ohio n that case could compete with other .runk lines for New England busi- less."
 Mir. Willard said that if the Balti- nore and Ohio were left out of a runk line merger of the New England | pads, it would probably withdraw the | representatives, now soliciting business n New England. He suggested that. lis proposed New England system ould utilize certain water ways, mo- or truck and trolley lines for short lauls, on which they were certainly low losing money.
 Mir. Willard said in answer to a question that the New York Central night consent to relinquish the Bos- on and Albany to the proposed New sngland commission, and he bought that the Canadian govern nent would be glad to relinquish the Central Vermont, He believed that economies to be effected would iusti- y the capital expenditures in acouir- ng these lines and that differentials trough northern gateways would not e disturbed, The Grand Trunk dif- erential route. he thought might even 'e encouraged and the New England ystem would share in trans-conti- ental freight revenues all the way to he Canadian border instead of only Q White River Junction, Vt, as at resent, with the Central Vermont nder Grand Trunk ownership.