Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-02-16

less than Its original cost. The stock of the
Knox & Lincoln road is worthless. The Bay
& River road can never be built unless it is
aided. The Maine Central road holds the
key to the position. They hold the power,
| and can discriminate, standing as they do at
Bangor; and as long as that power 10 in that
road there is cloud hanging over the projects
Of the Knox & Lincoln and Bay & River
roads. He believed that competition was the
life of trade. By putting in this link between
Bath and Portland it makes q continuous
competitive and independent line from Ban
gor to Portland. One of the strongest rea
sons which presented itself to his mind was that
the people along the lire wanted another line, |
so that we have two competing lines. Maine
should have a settled railroad policy. He be-
lieved in the competitive railroad policy Of
Massachusetts. 1t was such policy that
made that State power in this Union of
States. The question is, will you turn your
backs on competitive policy, or will you
adopt the New Jersey policy at the beck of
of the President of the Maine Central? If it
was right to grant parallel road to the
Maine Central road one year ago, it was right
to do the same towards the Knox & Lincoln.
If it was tight to permit the Maine Central
to issue bonds is it not also right, even if it
does conflict little with that road, to pass
measure helping the Knox & Lincoln? He
said the veil was too thin.
| Mr.. Kinks said the friends of the Bay &
River road did not ask for this charter. If
the city of Bangor wanted another outlet why
had they not moved in the matter? If the
European & North American road wants an
other road why have they not moved in this
matter?
He would state for the information of the
gentleman that it was not rairoadsmonopoly
in New Jersey, but State monopoly. Not
81 had o1o hn
line of the River & Bay railroad, praying for
a charter. The President of that road had
not asked for such a charter.
Mr.. DINGLEY called for the yeas and nays.
Mr.. MORRIS, of Cumberland, thought the
policy of parallel lines was not sound one.
1t would be like so much capital sunk, to
build the proposed road, costing as it would
one million OF dollars. He did not believe
in such an expenditure.
: Mr.. KENNEDY Of Lincoln, questioned the
statement of the figures given by the Senator
from Hancock. The petitioners represented
3 the wealth of the city of Bath, excepting
n those who are bound up in the Maine Central.
The Knox and Lincoln road which was not
fully completed, cost some three millions of
n dollars for forty-seven miles of road, or about
n $57 900 per mile The petitions from Wis
= casset, Waldoboro', Damariscotta, Thomaston
and Rockland embrace the names Of some
of the richest men in the State, influential
n citizens of their localities, and he thought
: they ought to be treated with consideration.
He gave reasons for the people desiring an
outlet. Not many years ago our shipyards
were giving employment to large number Of
skilled laborers. But by single revolution
that interest has been destroyed. All of our
other kinds Of business subservient to our
ship building interest have been affected.
Our skilled workmen have been scattered far
and near.
Now with view of rebuilding our crushed
interests and to develope our water power,
we built the Knox and Lincoln road. We
have opened new outlet We must have
line that ia not irretrievably tied up to the
} Maine Central road. Now we don't pay 3
per cent. interest on our bonds. If the Maine
Central had any claims on US, possibly we
might submit. But they have not, and yet
they are trying to gobble us up. All we ask for
is an outlet. Its asked for by over 100 900 peo
pie on our coast who will be benefited by this
. road. The opposition regard it as an Utopian
scheme, and say it will never be built. We
shall build, and all we ask is to give us the
opportunity to build it. One OF our corpora
tors represents five millions of dollars. Sen
a ators ears have been poisoned by the state
e ments in opposition to the project. He hoped
n the Legislature would protect these petition
: ers from the tolls Of the Maine Central. All
IS we ask is to have them let US alone, and we
: promise in return to let them severely alone.
II This whole shore line is deserving of an out
q let. The Bay and River road want it, He
q remembered that one of the magnates of the
y Maine Central road had stated that he had
= one hand on Bangor and the other on the
u Knox and Lincoln Railroad.
i Mr.. HApLocK of Hancock, favored the
e majority report. 1t was his opinion that the
;. w a m NJ at
i Mr.. FOSTER of Penobscot, advocated the
g building of shore line from Bangor to Port.
0 land. He ridiculed the insinuation that the
9 project was q speculation. He favored a
through line from Moosehead Lake to Boston,
: and hoped to see the day when one would be
built.
The discussion was continued by Messrs.
Kinks, Dingley, Weber, Chase, Mcclellan
and Spaulding.
The yeas and nays having been ordered, re-
suited as follows
: Fletcher, Foster of Penobscot, Hobbs, Howes,
Humphrey, Kennedy, kimball, Pennell, Sawyer,
e Smith, sparlding of knox, Spaulding of Sagadahoc
NArs.-Messrs. Chase, Dunning. Hadlock, Hay
! ford Kinks; May, Mcclellan, Morris, Nickels,
SO the majority report was amended by the
adoption of the minority report, and the bill
was read once and assigned for tomorrow.
Adjourned.
READ AND AssIGNEp-An act to amend
section IS of chapter Is of the Revised Stat
utes, relating to injuries by defective high
ways; an act to protect spawn or egg Holsters
in the waters of Maine an act to incorpo.
rate fire department in West Waterville
Village; resolve requesting our delegation in
Congress to use their influence for faithful
observance of our treaties with the Indian
tribes.
PASSED TO BE ENGRossED---B Bill an act to in
corporate the Bethel Hill Village corporation;
bill an act to amend chapter $40 of the pr-
vate laws of 1871 relating to lighthouses; bill
an act to incorporate the Portland Steam
Towage and Water Boat Company; an act
authorizing the appointment of deputy town
clerks; an act to change the names of GER
tain persons; an act relating to return,
of list of stockholders in corporations to
assessors of towns and to the Secretary of
State resolve in favor of the Soldiers Or.
phans' Home at Bath; resolve in favor of
the State Prison; resolve appropriating $500
for the preservation Of the colors and trophies
| in tho rotu nda of the CanifoI. rasnlya direct-