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The ANNUAL REPORTS RECORD GROUP contains reports from the Accounting Department to the Interstate Commerce Commission, state regulatory agencies, and public utility commissions, as well as stockholder reports from the Secretary's Department. The annual reports to the ICC and state agencies were the overall responsibility of the Comptroller, who was in charge of the Accounting Department. The intrinsic importance of the records, however, warranted their separate treatment from the Accounting and Secretary departments' records.
This record group contains annual reports to the stockholders, to the ICC, and to state regulatory agencies, as well as working papers and appraisal reports. The stockholders annual reports were compiled by the Board of Directors for the stockholders, usually in conjunction with the company's annual meeting. Annual reports filed with the public utility commissions in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York contain information very similar to that submitted to the ICC; in cases where the carrier was not an interstate operator, these state reports are the only reports available.
| Six series make up the ANNUAL REPORTS as follows:
I ANNUAL REPORTS TO THE STOCKHOLDERS |
Series I, ANNUAL REPORTS TO THE STOCKHOLDERS, 1835-1972, is divided into two subseries: New Haven Railroad, 1873-1972, and Subsidiary Companies, 1835-1968. The series contains annual reports to the stockholders, state legislatures, or to courts during periods of trusteeship. The reports contain financial and operating statistics of a more general nature than that of the ICC reports (Series II). The purpose of the reports was to inform stockholders of the financial status and well-being of the company. The reports list the Board members and officers as well as provide information on income and expenses, investments, and operating statistics. In addition, the reports contain a brief narrative summary of the company's activities for the year in question. Reports issued by the NHRR will sometimes contain information on subsidiary operations. Some annual reports contain maps, while later versions include photographs. The reports are printed, bound volumes in most cases; some of them, however, are handwritten or are photocopies. The ANNUAL REPORTS TO THE STOCKHOLDERS are organized by railroad, with the NHRR preceding the subsidiaries. The subsidiaries are arranged alphabetically by company name. Within each company, the reports are arranged chronologically.
Series II, ANNUAL REPORTS TO THE ICC, l888-l968, is divided into two subseries: New Haven Railroad and Subsidiary Companies. The series is composed of reports filed by the NHRR and its subsidiaries in compliance with ICC regulations. The reports contain essential financial, statistical, and operating information of a detailed nature. Included are expenses and income, investments, mileage data, fuel consumption, passenger statistics, employee information, and accidents. One box of reports from the ICC appears at the end of the series. These include reports on NHRR financial transactions, rate investigations and ICC finance docket 21989, Pennsylvannia Railroad and New York Central merger. The reports are bound, printed volumes. The New Haven Railroad, 1888-1968, is arranged in chronological order. The Subsidiary Companies, 1888-1966, is alphabetically arranged by company name, then in chronological order; gaps within the span dates are not indicated.
Series III, ANNUAL REPORTS TO THE STATES, l874-l957, contains reports filed by the NHRR and its subsidiary companies with various state regulatory agencies as required by law. These states include Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island. The reports contain financial, statistical, and operating information pertaining to intrastate commerce in the state to which the report was submitted. The reports are bound, printed volumes. The New Haven Railroad 1888-1914, reports are in chronological order. The Subsidiary Companies, 1874-1957, reports are arranged alphabetically by company name and then filed in chronological order; gaps within the span dates are not indicated.
Series IV, ANNUAL REPORTS TO THE ICC: FOREIGN ROADS, l948-63, contains reports to the ICC and to stockholders from "foreign roads." "Foreign roads" are defined as any operation (railroad) not directly affiliated with the NHRR. Although the exact reason why the records were maintained is unclear, it is likely they were used as a reference source on railroads that did per diem (rental fee for use of tracks) business with the NHRR. The reports are printed, bound volumes. Reports are arranged in a rough chronological order, with each box in alphabetical order by company. Gaps within the span dates are not indicated.
Series V, ANNUAL REPORTS: WORKING RECORDS, l93l-59, contains the supporting files related to the preparation of the annual reports required by the ICC, various state regulatory agencies, and stockholder reports. The records include corrections submitted, amendments, requisitions, correspondence, and filing fees. Included are records of both the NHRR and its subsidiaries. The files contain information pertinent to both the annual and quarterly reports to the ICC. The WORKING RECORDS are arranged alphabetically by company name, but preceded by NHRR records. Within each company, the records are in reverse chronological order.
Series VI, APPRAISAL REPORTS, 1909-76, contains a small number of appraisal and valuation reports made of the land and physical property directly owned by the NHRR or the land and physical property of NHRR subsidiary companies. Most of these reports were issued by the accounting firm of Price Waterhouse. Information in the valuation and appraisal reports includes right-of-ways, rails, structures and land. NHRR reports are listed first, followed by an alphabetical list of subsidiary company reports. The dates of the actual appraisal and of the report are listed.