The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1867-03-15
Eomth Baltimore Gazette.
The Boom Bill.

We have before us a communication from
correspondent in Hartford who is opposed to the |
Boom Bill. He writes however under the I'M
preston that the Boom is 10 be at the mouth OF
the Susquehanna instead of above Port Deposit |
as we have stated, and he assures US that we have
fallen into gross error. Now the charter, |
which we have before u.s. says expressly that the |
Boom IS to be constructed between the Pennsyi- |
vauia Line and the head of sloop navigation
IL provides that no boom shall be constructed MS
to obstruct the navigation of the river and that
no side or branch boom shall extend into the
main channel beyond where the water is six feet
deep at common low tide.
The next point urged is that when the Will
Transport monopoly is broken up there will be
Maryland monopoly just as bad and that this
monopoly will help the Boom Company, which
| is to charge whatever it chooses for manufactu-
| ring lumber, and the Philadelphia, Wilmington
| and Baltimore Railroad, which is to charge what
| ever 1t pleases for transporting it. Now we re-
specially submit that the Boom Company is not
TO manufacture lumber, but to catch timber -
! The erection of saw mills is O nn to MI, even to
our correspondent if lie has good site for saw
mill and likes the business. AS to the railroad
charges for transportation, we cannot suppose
there will be more than a local trade in lumber
on the Philadelphia road, as the great portion OF
the lumber must come TO Baltimore by cheap
water transportation but those who do get their
lumber by rail will find it much cheaper to
transport it from Havre de Grace than to get it
from Williamsport. AS for another charge
made, that there is nothing TO restrain eXtorton,
we have only 10 say that the boomage 10 he
paid is embodied in The bill. The Legislature
has especially provided for low rate of boom
age.
There is another feature in the bill which our
correspondent strongly objects TO. That is the
authority given to condemn $50 acres of land on
H., ~. .,rtl, ~. -. -
ever that there is no such danger as he conten-
plates as only such land as is positively needed
for the main Boom will be taken. For this u
full equivalent is TO be paid, rs the election of
the Boom will make neghboring property avail
able for saw mill SITES any land condemned will
certainly be appraised at price considerably
above its present value.
l There are other points which, although we
may agree with our correspondent we are not
in u position to discuss. There are certain facts
which have been forced upon US and which we
are bound to accept If Northern capit,lwill
come to Maryland we cannot place barrier
against it to prevent its encroaching upon u.s.
Under our present laws if Northern capitalists
are more enterprising and more alive to the adj
vantages Of maryland than we are, they are al
least entitled nowadays to all the protection
We have ourselves. The remarks on the Phia-
delphia Railroad and on corporations generally
are very just, Uut tney are hui altogether peru
nent to the question.
The objections te hear urged from other quar-
tiers against this Bill come chiefly from the friends
of parties who make business of picking up
drift timber and stray logs and from the owners
of timber property in the lower part of Mary
land. We have no idea that the proprietors oil
the Boom propose to interfere with drift timber
They have more important matter to look after
If they lessen the number of stray logs which
come down the river so much the better for
those to whom this timber clearly belongs. A
high freshet in the river will frequently sweep
away the upper booms and send millions of feet
OF timber adrift, much ofwhich is lost to the unfor
tunate owners. Near the mouth of of the river
. where it is wider and where the curren; is less
rapid. there is of course much less liability 10
floods. Surely it is much better to protect the
owners of property than those who live by their
misfortunes. We protect the ship owners rather
than the wreckers. Finally the timber interest
of lower Maryland is comparatively small,
whereas the whole State is very largely Inter-
ested in the reduction Of the price of lumber.-
Besides this the competition which lower Mary
aP9 hts e" tGe J yfssspa Of the eharssi
Virginia than from Pennsylvania
The merits of this Bill have been alread Y
thoroughly canvassed. Why is it not re-
ported upon a once by the Committee on Cor
porations and submitted to the action of the
House? The session is drawing to close -
While there is yet time let members, if they de-
sire have full opportunity to discuss it,