The Portland daily press., 1865-05-27
Portland and the Grand Trunk Railroad'

does not think. leave quite just Impression
as. A.. .,,s .,,,siticns taken by either of those
osn,,or,an upon the questions before that
,,oo,,no Mr. Browns purpose was to i'm
nress upon the meeting the Importance OF ex-
sanding the manufactures of Portland. justly
| Jeeming the industry and capital employed in
this direction as promising The most valuable
results to the city that could be realized by in
vestments OF any description, and be endeav-
ored, by most conclusive arguments and con-
-iderations, 10 persuade the capitalists, the
laudholders, and active business men of the /
city, TO move themselves promptly and ear
nestly in the Introduction Of additional manu-
fActures OF various kinds, large and small, to
our city, land he would not have them wait
Tor others to lead off, or TO be guaranteed
handsome aud certain profits in advance
\ They mustl mot depend asupon the Grand
Trunk Railroad or any corporation or party
outside ofthemseyes. 1T was idle to call up
on Hercules for help while they were indiffer-
ent. This, If / understood them Alright, was
the drift and point o. Mr.. Browns remarks.
Mr.. Washburn, while concurring entirely,
in these views, believing with, Mr.. Brown
that the first and great interest of Portland
was manufacturing, and while admitting that
manufacturing enterprises could be carried on
here successfully without additional railroad
facilities, expressed, also, the opinion that
Portland on the whole would be benefited,
and especially in its commercial aud. trading
interests, il the Grand Trunk Railway would
make it, instead of Boston, as is now the case,
its base. And he thought this change would
prove guide as advantageous TO the Grand
Trunk as it would to Portland. The Grand
Trunk runs its Passenger trains TO Canada and
tbs East to accommodate Boston and the Bos-
ton roads. 1t should make the other roads ac-
commodate themselves to 1t, and it could do
so If it desired. Now, II man in Boston or
New York, on the afternoon OF any day, finds
that he must visit any town on the line Of the
Grand Truuk, or 10 ELL Maine east of Lewis
ton. he can do SO in the same time from either
OF those cities that he can from Portland
Portland is regarded and treated as but way
station. But make it the base, the governing
point, and run trains steadily from it, in
the morning and In the evening, with connec-
lions for the west-make these trains fixed
and known-and they will at no distant peri
cd take nearly every passenger for Maine and
the Lower Provinces, and half those from
eastern Massachusetts, and New Hampshire
who visit Canada or the Northwest The
Eastern boats and the Western trains will all
be run to. connect with these trains, and the
Grand Trunk, as q passenger road. would then,
and then only, be success. It now runs but
one train day and does not carry many pas
sengers the wonder is that it takes SO many
as it does ;-if it run its trains but three times
a week, each train would be smaller than at
present, and If il run but one train week
that train would not take so many passengers
as the present daily train averages.
In the matter Of freight from Canada and
the West, Boston is treated as the base. The
price Of freights to Boston is precisely the
same as to Portland. This is positive wrong
to Portland, and no less certain injury to the
Grand Trunk. If competition with other lines
and routes from the West requires that freights
to Boston be at given rate, say the present,
let 1t be so; but let the freight to Portland be
no higher pro ruta--let 1t be the same as to
Boston.less the steamboat rates from Portland.
This practice, which would be Just and give to
Portland the advantage to which she is fairly
entitled from her location, would secure 10 her
merchants the sale Of every barrel of -four
or bushel of corn, or other product Of The
West which 10 now sold to the people Of Maine
10 either and all the cities Of Portland. Bos-
ton, and New York. The Grand Trunk would
then obtain the carriage of all these articles
consumed ia Maine, whereas now half Of
them are purchased in Boston and New
York, to which places they are transported
mainly over other lines. And in the end vast
quantities OF produce for shipment to foreign
| ports, would come to Portland over this road.
At the same time all the freight would be tax
en- to Boston uid the Grand Trunk, that would
be required by that market When the Grand
Trunk once fights on this line" twill win
victories. The laws Of trade are inexorable-
and all attempts TO deprive Portland Of the
legitimate advantage Of her position, to ca
puage the fact that she is one hundred miles
nearer than Boston to Montreal, suiu fail,
Ii is NOT for the Grand Trunk to say to
Portland, increase your trade, be great
city, become large dealers, importers, jobbers,
&C., and thus make Portland properly and
fairly the base of our roada-for Portland can
reply, You will not permit this--you practi-
cally annihilate the distance between Portland
orBoston. Yon take goods from Boston TO
the West, or from the West to Boston, as cheap
as you do to or from Portland, and as Boston
is the larger market, every purchaser and
dealer will 60 there rather than TO Portland.
unless In some gay he can do better at Port
land, and this you have provided against; for
you have arranged that every train that you
run.to Or from Portland, shall take him to
and from Boston; and you consent to pay
from your own treasury to other carriers the
prices they demand for the transportation of
goods from Portland to Boston in order to en- :
able Boston merchants to sell as cheap as those
OF Portland, and thereby to deprive the latter
OF their legitimate trade" 1t is impossible
for Portland to expand to any considerable
extent, commercially, SO long as this discrimi-
nation Is made against her. Give her the ad-
vantage that naturally belongs to her from
her geographical position, and she will increase
her trade and commercea at once-and the adj
vantage cfsthis increase will come directly to
the Grand Trunk, and to every railroad and
steamboat-line in the State; for while the
Boston boats might lose something in one d.
rection, they would gain twice as much in
another.
Such, IL We understood Mr.. Washburn,
was the substance Of the views which he pre-.
sented-and they were in no wise in conflict
With the main points urged by Mr.. Brown
and they were urged in spirit of entire
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