The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-04-30
Can Portland afford 90 vo.. ..N..s :

To the Editor Of the Press; ...r ....i. .i.,f-.
The cost of rebuilding the city under the
high prices which have ruled since the fire, is
so great as to render it necessary for landlords
to add very largely-perhaps 100 per to
their rents. They cannot afford to build, and
they will not, without promise of increased
rents. Merchants, traders, mechanics, Sc,
cannot afford TO pay the high rents now re-
quired, without an increase of business and
trade Nothing can be more certain than that
with the former business only, no man can af-
ford to pay the sums that hereafter must be
demanded for rents; and so if this enlarge
ment of trade is not secured we shall find that
the stores which we now have will fail to find les
sees at the present rates or anything like them
Real estate proprietors and business men are
alike interested in opening new avenues to
trade and creating new facilities ior business.
At this time it SO happens that some of the
most important avenues and facilities which
we have relied upon are in danger of being in
greater or less degree closed to. us. Our de-
pendence upon the Grand Trunk Railway is
growing more and more precarious every day,
and the most gloomy apprehensions exist in
the minds Of well informed people in reference
to its future value to this city. Already it is
felt that in the counsels Of this corporation the
interests of Portland merchants have been sub
ordinated to those of other cities; and 1t is
seen that even to preserUe our trade NEW AVE-
NUEs TO THE WEST ARE ABSOLUTELY NECEs-
sARY. At this time, as good fortune would
have it, parties of the highest respectability
| and responsibility propose the opening of new
| facihties-new avenues for local and western
trade-which secure to Portland greater ad-
vantages-vastly greater-than she, in her
most extravagant mood even, hoped to derive
from the Grand Trunk, and they ask that such
moderate aid as it is necessary for her to grant
shall be extended only upon terms which are
entirely safe to the city, and upon the condi-
tion that the enterprises of which they are to
form part are completed. .a
Is it not amazing, Mr.. Editor, that a PROPOSE
ton so wise, SO prudent, so carefully guarded
and so vital to our city,-and without the sue
cess Of which she must inevitably dwindle to a
mere provincial town-qu'et, dull, respectable,
moribund, ,-should meet the opposition of
single citizen? But is it not gratifying that, SO
far as is known, such opposition emanates not
entirely, but chiefly from parties who seem to
| shiHA ehas ~ sho uccfopAtuuc VI Il Iortiduu lHey
may derive greater advantages and gains than
they. can from her prosperity. You may re.
member, sir, that some years ago the Portland
merchants subscribed literally to build tho
railroad to Pennington and you are not igno-
rant that the money thus contributed, was
used in building road which has been divert
ed from this city and made tunnel through
which large and valuable trade, once center
ing here, has been sluiced through to Boston
Portland could better afford to have lost q
million of dollars than to have permitted this
diversion. But if further steps are to be taken
to prevent business coming to this city, is /.
not eninently fit that such steps should be
taken by those who, in foreclosing Androscog.
gin Railroad mortgages and selling them out
to adverse parties, struck heavy blow at the
prosperity Of our city? els" CITIZEN