Cherington to Advice New Haven Railroad as Transport Consultant

Charles R. Cherington '35, professor of Government and transportation expert, has been appointed as a consultant to Patrick B. McGinnis, President of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad, McGinnis announced yesterday.

Cherington will continue his teaching duties at the University while advising the New Haven on the legal and economic problems of New England railroads.

In public statements, Cherington has supported a merger between the New Haven and the Boston and Maine railroads, proposed in December by McGinnis. "I don't know why McGinnis hired me, but I don't think it's because I am in favor of the merger," Cherington said yesterday.

Reasonable Consolidation

Last month Cherington called a linking of the two lines a "reasonable regional consolidation that wouldn't necessarily be dangerous. Yesterday, Cherington said he thought that a merger would be beneficial to New England if done under public authority and with proper protection for the public interest.

"It would take a good deal of time, but first the credit of the B. & M. must be restored and the present management hasn't done very much to pull the road out of its near-bankrupt condition," Cherington said.

In December McGinnis announced that three of his friends had bought controlling stock in the Boston and Maine, but yesterday Cherington said that they are not acting in concert with the New Haven management. "There aren't any plans yet, but there's a long-run possibility that a merger might work out." Cherington added.