The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1870-11-10
THE ACTION OF THE MAINE CENTRAL.
OUR RAILROAD REJECTED.

UUK RAILROAD REJECIEO.
After the Committee that visited our city
last week, and travelled along tie line of the
railroad, had made their report to the full
board of the Maine Central the action was
had which is set forth in the following COM
municaton:
BATH, Nov. 5, 1870.
AXEL HAYFORD, ESQ.,,
President Belfast and Moosehead Lake r. r. Co.
DEAR SIR: In accordance with the vote of the
Directors of the Maine Central r. r. Co., instruct
ing me so to do, hereby send you the following
resolution.
Whereas, From all examination of the Belfast
and Moosehead Lake Railroad, by Committee OF
this board, assisted by eminent civil Engineer,
and other competent gentlemen of great experience
in the construction and operation of railroads, il
clearly appears that said railroad does not conform
to the terms of the contract entered into between
this Company and the Belfast and Moosehead Lake
Railroad Company, dated June 10th, 1869, but in
most important particulars falls far below the re-
quirements of said contract. Therefore
Resolved, That this Company decline to accept
said railroad under said contract.
am sir yours very resptfuy,
G. NJ. PATTEN,
Clerk pro TEN.
We need not say how thoroughly our peo-
pie We're surprised by this most unexpected
action on the part Of those to whom this road
had been contracted After laboring as a
people never before labored in like cause,
and building what by all others is acknowl-
edged to be the best thirty-three miles of
railroad in the State of Maine, under the
supervision of eminent engineers-to be
greeted in such manner on the completion
of the work, is indeed astounding. tits pain
fully apparent that our case was prejudged-
that the rigid scrutiny into the structure and
material of the road, masked purpose to
find in seeming if not in substance, some
thing that should ''fall far below the require
ments''
The purpose of this rejection is that the
terms of the lease may be revised and a lower
rental assened to. 1t is a bit of sharp prac-
tice to which corp orations, especially rail
roads, are addicted, when upon vantage
ground. A compromise will doubtless be
proposed, but with what concessions on our
part can now be only conjectured. The re-
solution declining 'to accept said road under
said contract" infers that it would be accept
ed under some other. What that is, we have
yet to learn.
Our most obvious remedy against the
wrong is to be found in the clause of the CON
tract providing for arbitration, in case of the
difference which has arisen. The contract
for lease OF the road says:
"Should any difference arise between the parties
to this agreement, as to whether the party of the
first part the B. and NJ. l.. r. r. has complied
with the terms of this agreement in relation to
building the road of the party Of the second part
1.-THE Maine Centrall or in relation to running the
trains, these conditions shall be submitted to the
Railroad Commissioners of the State for the time
being, whose decision shall be final"
The State Railroad Commissioners are
Col. A. w. Wildes, Hon. Samuel A. Blake,
of Bangor and Hon. Solomon T. Corser, of
Portland, gentlemen of intelligence and high
character Col. Wildes is civil engineer
Of great experience, Mr.. Blake is an eminent
lawyer, and Mr.. Corser is practical railroad
formerly Superintendent of the
Grand Trunk Railroad. That their decision
will be in favor Of the sutficiency of the road,
we do not permit ourselves to doubt. If the
Central Road shall still refuse to perform the
stipulations of the contract, we can bring a
bill in equity to compel such performance,
or run the road and sue for the deficiency in
receipts at the end Of the first quarter,
The contract for lease is conditioned that
the road shall be first class one, and makes
the contract with Wilson, Tenant & Co.,
with its specifications, part of the contract
with the leasing road. But Col. Wildes,
chief engineer, is authorized to change the
specifications whenever in his judgment it
may be done without prejudice to the char
acter of the work as first class road. The
whole scope and spirit Of the agreement was
and is that we should build a road fully up
to the standard of the first class roads of the
State This has been done, and more too.
There are some matters kindred to this,
and concerning the rejection OF the lease
made with the Kennebec and Portland Road
and the making of a new one with the corpo-
ration that is treating us in this cavalier
style, to which allusion may be made here
after. The public will remember how strong
ly this paper urged the ratification of the
first named lease, and the prediction which
we then made that trouble would follow from
the unjustifiable course that was finally taken