The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-01-20

i WI VIC oiSudtuiC VI 1IJuItf, WllO taxes IOT
his text garbled statement from the report OF
the Directors of the Boston & Maine Railroad
| OF 1872, undertakes to show the relations of the
Boston & Maine road to the business of Maine,
| and says that the altimatum of the two roads
| was as follows: .tr
| Passengers Freight
per head. per ton
| Eastern Railroad. ...............S1 so 50 90
Boston s. Maine Railroad . 200 to
And that the ''Boston & Maine Railroad pro-
posed to extort from the people Of Maine using
its line tbirty-three per cent. more than the
| Eastern Railroad. ''--t&
| This is but another attempt to manufacture
public sentiment in favor of gigantic mo
nopoly which is to-day saying to the people of
Maine "You must travel and send your freight
over the line of railway which we prescribe or
we will put you to all the Inconvenience and
delay which we can. We will compel your
merchandise to remain one or two days in
Portland and then be transferred from car to
car, and we will compel you to get your bag
gage rechecksd, and will not allow our en-
ployes to give you any information unless you
keep upon the line which we prescribe"
Equity" says that ''the Maine Central
urged and entreated the Boston g. Maine to
yield as favorable terms to this State as the
Eastern had consented to, ofariny fun and free
connection at Portland OF the same terms as to
the Eastern" but he does not tell the reader
that this offer was made by the Maine Central
long before the Boston & Maine Railroad was
completed and running into Portland; he does
| not tell the reader that this liberal offer was
| mo do x,ifb IL a..
gers and merchandise must 60 over the P. s.
q z. road to South Berwick Junction, and
that the Boston & Maine was compelled to pay
the P. S. & P. Road 424 per cent of the gross
receipts on all through business for hauling a
distance of 36 miles, while the Boston & Maine
were only permitted to take 575 per cent CT
the gross receipts for hauling "a miles and
furnishing all the terminal facilities. Neither
does Equity tell the reader that the Maine
Central, as soon as the Boston & Maine was
completed and co MN enced running to Port
land, utterly refused to take either passengers
or freight from the Boston Il Maine, aud only
stopped its passenger trains at the Boston &
Maine station after an injunction was granted
by the court.
The idea of the Maine Central asking for
rich one to shippers who are posted ON rates.
Let us examine few of the rates as set forth in
the NJ inc Central tariff of August 10, 1872,
and which believe is the last issued, although
am told that the whole bevy of officials have
for long time been endeavoring to hatch up
another. According to this tariff, Westbrook is
four miles from Portland, and the rate for first
class freight is $500 per ton between West.
brook and Boston. Maine Central pronorton
81 so for miles, and Boston & Maine nronor.
ton for 1l5 miles 50 90. Freeport is q miles
from Portland, and the Maine Central charpe
from Freeport to Boston $40 for first class
freight, this gives the Maine Central $40 for
q miles. aud the Boston & Maine So 90 for 115
miles Gardiner is 56 miles from Portland and
the Maine Central charge per ton for second
class freight "a, 40 for the Sc miles, while in its
liberal spirit it asks tue Boston & Maine to
take $500 for hauling the same ton of freight
rs miles. Kendals Mills is "a miles from
Portland, and the Maine Central charge for
that distance for ton of first class freie hit ,
81. 80, and ask the BostO & Maine to take the
sam. ton of freight to Boston, lis miles for 49,
Let the people Of Maine look about them and
see who it is that is charging the exorbtant
prices for transportation Let them get a
Maine Central freight or passenger tariff and
zee what the Boston rates are, and from those
ratss take ST. for passenger and 50 for ton
on OF freight, and they will see how much the
e ~ central obtains for the transportation
=, PASSENGER or ton of freight between our
lniand towns and Portland, It NAV not be out
OF place ton me to invite attention to the rea-
son for an TINS "utcry. concerning the exorbi-
tant rates demanded by the Boston & Maine
h LUZ Maine Oentral arr and have been charging
land towns aud Portland, rates which anv cor.
poration or transportation company on@hi m ho
ashamed of, aud the Boston & Maine have ~ NOT !
DeeL Willing to cover up these charges in |
rather TO give the shipper the benefit of its |
low rates than to allow the Maine Central IN |
grow fat thereby. The Maiue Central bein~
vexed at this state of affairs, endeavors to set /
the whole State by the ears. and to make the |
people belief that their already excessive rates |
must be raised If the Boston a. Maize is per.
mitled to take freight from them at Portland !