Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-02-16

ship exhibited in railroad corporations and
railroad management, takes a very extreme
view and one not justified by the facts, the
opposite extreme it seems to me is to charge
the P. s. ?. with being sinner above all
other roads in this matter, and calling upon
us to adopt this extraordinary legislation to
punish them for their sins. And l would say
to those who urge this complaint, that at the
very time when this took place the P. s. &
?. was leased to two parties who controlled
its action, one Of which was the Boston and
Maine itself.
Third, That it would be built by funds from
without the State. Now l am unable to see
how the moral aspects of a question can be
changed by State lines. / am firmly of the
opinion that if all the parties had been resi-
dents of this State the other circumstances
existing as they do at the present time, that
no such bill would have been reported We
are told that these parties have great wealth,
and it will not harm them to part with some
of it by this operation. Now setting aside the
principles of right and wrong involved in such
legislation let us see how it would affect some
of our own interests. 1t was in testimony
that more than one half of the P. S. & p.
stock amounting to Sl,250,o00 was owned by
women and children and held as trust funds
by charitable associations. Build this second
line and this stock which is now worth SIPS
would 60 down to par or lower. The carry
ing out of this proposed legislation would re-
duce every 1925 owned by these women and
children and charitable associations to 500
or less.
Fourth, That the present rates of freight
and passage from Portland to Boston are ex-
orbitant. This is very general complaint
and think honestly made. Until made some
investigation ! entertained the same views
hat hat tha fact Ero;ubt
car load of ten tons is 1926; passage cents
per mile, while the average of local fares on
the seventeen different lines of railroad in
Massachusetts is AIT, showing the fare from
Portland to Boston to be two-fifths less than the
average of local fares in Massachusetts. That
a very large amount Of travel in Massachu-
| sets is on season or communication tickets Is
shown by the facts that while the average for
local fare is ATT, the average for the whole
amount is 2.78. have not the means of
knowing what the average would be on this
route, but from the very large number of pas
sengers passing over it by through rate con-
nections with Eastern roads the average can
be but little if any more than two cents per
mile, the lowest rates with one exception in
Maine or Massachusetts,.
Fifth, That competition of these two roads
would give lower rate of freight and pas
sage. This might be the case for short time,
but the public would be no gamers in the end.
If two roads are built the public must pay for,
or support them in some form or other, and
it costs more to support two roads than one
and it would not be long before the two roads
would be virtually or actually consolidated.
Let US turn a moment to the testimony of
the petitioners and see on what ground they
base their request for a charter. ! regretted
that could not attend the hearing throughout,
hpf Jur ha hpr fip,a I I
member distinctly of hearing Mr.. Cogswell
narrow his case down to this, his apprehension
that although they had moved along so har-
moniously for more than twenty years, that
at some indefinite time in the future trouble
might arise with the Eastern Road. All. sir,
this is the difficulty. 1t is jealousy of the
Eastern Road, and because two rival roads in
neighboring States cannot agree, we are
called upon to sacrifice a fourishing road
within our own borders to help them out of
their difficulties. ! hope'w we shall show by our
action here to- day that we entertain different
views from this in regard to the dignity and
of legislation.
This apprehension of President Cogswell
brings to my recollection matrimonial diff
Guilty which l remember of reading in some
Of the classical works to which l had access
when a boy, l think it was Robert B. Thomas
Almanack. A married couple who had lived
together for almost forty years, as happily as
a married couple could be expected to live
who had not been blessed with children, one
evening in anticipation of coming events, fell
to discussing the names by which they would
call their children when born; they were in
perfect accord till they came to the name of
the sixth, and here they could not agree, and
so bitter was the quarrel between them, that
sad to say, this hitherto loving couple now
MOI han, fyfv nf nd xvhn ha
travelled life's journey together for almost
forty years, separated, and all from an apPre-
hension in regard to the name of thier sixth
child, the first being yet unborn. l have no
disposition to make light of serious matters
but really, the reasons assigned at the hear
ing were narrowed down to so fine point
that it was to me very suggestive of the
ridiculous.
But it seems to be a waste of time to argue
these points when probably there is not a
| single Senator who has the least expectation
that such a road will be built. This charter is
sought for an entirely different purposes they
want the power which such legislation will
give them, to enable them to drive a sharper
trade with another corporation. 1t is estimated
that it will cost at the present time 81 ,000,000
to build and equip this road, while for, from
81 600 900 to 81, 250, 900 they could buy up the
whole stock of the =. S. & p and for 81 ,250,-
900 they could purchase controlling interest
in that road; does any sane man suppose that
knowing these facts, as well as the managers
ofthe Boston and Maine know them, that they
have any thought of investing $4,000,0O0 in
in new and second line? do not believe
such a thought ever entered their heads.
Why this should be postponed for one year.
First, it would place the case just whore it
belongs in the order Of time. The question
is not properly before us the present year.
All are aware that in such cases as this, the
law requires public notice to be given for a
certain length of time; in this case no notice
was given the law was suspended, and a
hearing was ordered, wholly and solely, on
the representation made at the exparte hear
ing, not single point of which was sustained
by evidence at the regular hearing; and l
have no doubt that if left to themselves, be-
fore the close of the year these opposing
parties will be found in close and loving en-
brace, and we shalkbe saved the great farce of
passing bill, merely for the purpose of en-
abling one of these parties to drive a sharper
trade with the other, and that even President
Cogswell, as year after year of peace and
quiet prosperity is added to the more than
t,nn how