The Portland daily press., 1872-09-19
CITY Affairs.

A special meeting of both branches of the
City Council was held last evening.
In Board of Mayor and Aldermen papers from
the Common Council were disposed of in con-
currence
The petition of H. A. Lamb for permission
to erect three story wooden dwelling house on
the north side of Congress street, opposite Lin
coin Park, was referred to the Committee OH
Wooden Buildings, with power.
The Aldermen then went into joint Conven-
tion with the Common Council to give q hear
ing to certain gentlemen in regard to the COM
pletion of
r,l THE MARGINAL WAY.
Hon. John Lynch, President of the Portland
and Rochester Railroad Co., reheared the early
history of the Marginal Way enterprise, during
which he read editorial articles from the daily
newspapers favoring it, as an indication that
the citizens approved the action of the City
Council in appropriating means for its con-
struction; adding also the fact that no remon-
strances had ever been received by the City
Council against their action. The arguments
at the outset were of four-fold force now for
since the work was begun, contracts have been
signed for the construction of the Nashua and
Rochester road, and the work of completing
through line from Portland to New York is be-
ing pushed. The only objection raised against
completing the Marginal Way is the increase
over the estimated cost on account of the un-
known and uncertain nature of the flats. His
experience and observation were that the same
ON the front side of the city; yet none of those
enterprises had been abandoned and left in
worthless condition; and he did not believe the
city would suffer the money already invested
in the Marginal Way to be lost. Mr.. Lynch pro-
ceeded to show that the expense of breaking bulk
and transporting freight across the city to con-
Meeting lines was serious obstacle to the sue
cess of the p, & Il. r. r. BY giving it means
to reach the waterfront they could compete
successfully with other roads, The completion
Of the MARGINAL Nav xuould or,lu hap afit
the city by an increase of railroad traffic, but
other business would be attracted to the new
avenue. as had been the case on Commercial
street Another consideration in its favor is
that four great railway lines are now centering
in the narrow space at the upper end of the city
and occupying the harbor front, and the bust
ness must seek wharf accommodations else
where, and we have hundreds of acres of unim-
proved land lying along deep water. Within
one year the cars will run direct from Portland
to New York and Chicago. He believed it was
the duty OF the city to furnish avenues for
business whether it came by teams or rail-
roads. Railroads are taking the place of coun-
ty roads. We have just begun the develop
ment of the system. In reply to suggestion
that the railroad should pay for the use of such
an avenue, Mr.. Lynch said that it would be
quite as unjust as to fix a toll for wagon trans
portation.
Capt. Coyle said he spoke for all the steam
boat enterprises of this city and expressed the
interest of those corporations in this question
The is a combination of railroad interests
which is determined to crush out the business
OF Portland and we must do something in oul
own defence. To-day our largest railroad
corporations offer to carry freight from Skow-
hogan and Waterville to Boston for the same
price that they will take it to Portland. The
five steamboat corporations of Portland
handling million and half or two millions
OF capital, ask that their interests may be pro-
tected by the completion of the Marginal WAY.
They have kept down much of the discrimina
ton against Portland, and as they have never
asked any favors of the city they request now
that their interests may be protected by the
construction of the Marginal Way and the es
tablishment of railway connections In hi,
Judgment all the railroad business of Portland
would be done on Back Bay. 1t had got tc
come to that and he desired to improve it,
facilities as speedily as possible.
Mr.. Moses Gould said that the increase O
taxable valuation on Back Bay since the worl
of filling in the fats begun, is 100000. Whel
the rest of the area is improved, as it can be b!
the development of RAILROAD enterprise, ever.
square foot outside the space allowed for street
would be worth a dollar. Seven millions o
taxable property could be placed there in a few
years. The Back Bay Company propose. a
soon as the Marginal Way is completed. T.
build wharves and ask the Legislature leave t.
do q warehousing business.
Mr.. James l.. Farmer stated from his actua
Khowledge, that all the wharf room of Port
anu ianu suitable for heavy merchandise is alread,
sp occupied, and he found it difficult to obtail
,mnaliage tor 5000 or 1000 tons of coal. Ware
aro oTood, on wharves for ordinary merchandise
sound env ed1ceiedlngly i scarce and room cannot b.
caraoas ,a u nf Portland to-day for storing twent
By the comost"s moIssses Everything is occupied
have i access p.e'Pn to Rao Of the Marginal Way w
abundance of 70 sack Bay wharf sites will
and received alongside tho noai oan pe SilPpee Plt
d1eh tSa meneT neTe reminded the that
improvement of Portland bonfsresS for tn
expended on the channels of Back Rav i 70 o.. d.
sneaking still further of the need Atte
wharf ACCOMMODATIONS, Mr. Farmer Sa said oe1.e the
the the cFSwsT 6 Of eoe,sa 5asoaas in the upper part
room. They would either seek deep Watar nor 7
Cape Elizabeth or at Back Bay and aropn