The Portland daily press., 1871-09-15

AS there IS some probability that the Bost on
& Maine Railroad Company may, u.der the
charter obtained from the Legislature last
winter, extend its line to this city, it is well to
consider the effect of such extension on the
business of Portland, and how the location of
the road and its depot in the city may be best
made to subserve our interests and accommo.
date the public. Should the road be built, it
will afford favorable opportunity Tor bringing
aoouts an arrangement by which all the roads
terminating here can be united in providing a
grand Central Depot, at some point convenient
to the business centre of the city, where there
is ample room for the movement of trains. and
the transhiDment of freight, withe ut interrupt
ing travel by private conveyances With such
Central Union Depot, and facilities for reach
log all the wharves of the harbor by a margi
nal way-which should be under the control of
the city and for the of all railroads on equal
terms the cost of handling freight would be
reduced to its minimum, and the travelling
public would be afforded the best possible ac-
Communications. If we are to derive from the
roads terminating here the advantages which
we are entitled to receive, we must adopt some
policy in regard to their location and connec-
tions in the city, and all our municipal ipflu-
ence must be exerted to carry this policy into
effect. We have heretofore contented our
selves with making liberal investments in
great railroad enterprises, and then leaving
them to be managed so IS to subserve private
rather than public interests: and the result is,
we have failed to secure the advantages which
we anticipated.
As an illustration, the Maine Central, which
was started with Portland capital, in come c.
ton with the Atlantic & St. Lawrence rail-
road, has talthough retaining its nane) been
swallowed up by the Kennebec and Port
land, road built to run by Portland to Boston,
and which is now run in connection with abe
Eastern Roads from Boston to Bangor under
such arrangements as tends to reduce Portland
to " way station" on this =" through route'
All the trains on this route are run so as to
make it as convenient as possible to stop at
and as convenient as possible to pass by, PORT
land. The fast trains and the best cars ale
run on this through line,'' and in coming
from Boston are" switched off by the bridge
into the Kennebec Depot; and if Portland pas
sengers happen to be on board these cars they
must climb over one or two intervening trains
before they can get into the mud outside.
The Boston & Maine Road is seeking the
same facilities for passing business by us, and
we have nothing better to expect from that
company should it's road be built.
Portland can in measure cOunteract these
efforts to carry business by her, by controlling
and directing, as far as possible, the location
and connections OF roads centering here. If
a tha nj NH iob boo
by the aid of Portland capital, and
which ought to be managed in the interests of
Portland, could have a common terminus, with
facilities for easy access to the steamboat and
steamship lines at the deep water of the har-
Dor, the Boston roads which depend upon these
lines for business would follow them.
SO long as we encourage roads to so locate as
only to touch our city at its Western extremi-
ty, they will not bring business TO, but will
carry it by us. In order to reap the full adj
vantage OF our investments in railroads and
steamboat lines, we must organize system
that shall control the operation of other lines
and make them contribute to our prosperity.
Make the depot for our steamers at the Eas.
tern end of the city, where there is deep water
and unobstructed passage way, and OF our rail.
road lines on the back bay, close to the centre
of business, and where it can be reached by
the horse cars; put the whole into communica
ton by means OF a marginal railway, in which
all roads shall have a common interest and
equal rights, and we shall have the best accom-
mediation for business to be found in the coun-
try. Do this, and as we extend our lines to
New York, to Concord, to Rutland and to Og-
densburg, we shall control the business wbic
they develope, and make it contribute to our
growth and prosperity.
This city should hold all its rights we'll in
hand, to be used at the proper time, to inau-
gurate system for the benefit OF all roads,
terminating here, and for the interests of the
general public.
The exclusive rights to the front of the CITY
which was by the almost criminal folly of a
former city government granted to the Grand
Trunk railroad, should. if possible, be extin-
guished. There can be no danger OF any city
government repeating the folly which Las
proved so injurious to our interests