The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-10-24
THE PRESS.
SATURDAY MORNING, OCT. "a, 1874
The Ocean Steamship Question.

The development of the necessity OF pro-
vidins an elevator and other facilities for the
handling Of freight IL o:der to retain the
ocean steamers at this port and the discus
sion of the means for accomplishing the &C.
sired result raise the question of the extent
to which the city may legally and properly
go in aid of such Improvements. And the
first enquiry should be how far such improve
ments are of public character; not how far
they may incidentally benefit the public-for
all private business is incidentally for the
general good-but whether the main benefit
is to the public at large and only the incl
dental advantage to private interests.
Public Improvements may properly be
made, where no direct pecuniary returns can
be realized, when, as in the case of hospitals
and parks, the general health or comfort IS
to be su5served or when the prosperity and
convenience of town, county or state is to be
increased and the taxable property aug
mented to such an extent that the govern
ment is justified in assessing the cost upon
the whole community. Of the latter class of
proper public enterprises are highways,
bridges and railways, which are established
chiefly for the public and not for private gain
and are generally made at the public ex-
pense. The community builds the highways
and bridges, and, to a greater or lessextent,
aids in building railroads. individual enter
prise improves these facilities for commani-
cation and traffic by furnishing the vehicles
of transportation and by carrying on the bus
mess. As it is not thought practicable yet
for town, state or nation to operate rail-
road, national, state and municipal aid is
limited to the construction of the road bed
while private capital and private interests are
brought in to make available the facilities
thus provided.
In the olden time we had our town land
ing for the accommodation of the population
on the islands and along the coast. This land
ing was owned and maintained by the town
because the convenient access to the town
thus afforded was a public benefit. Our
proposition that the city purchase suitable
wharf and lease it to the Grand Trunk is
simply proposition to provide town land
ing for foreigners with whom we desire COM
-mercial relations, and is as legitimate and
proper as the maintenance of the old town
landing for our more immediate neighbors.
1t was formerly the custom to grant to private
companies the right to build bridges and
turnpikes and to reimburse themselves by the
collection of tolls. Of the four bridges con-
Meeting Portland with adjoining towns three
were originally toll bridges. But the policy
of these latter days is to furnish all these
facilities of communication at the public cost
and make them free to all corners; and the
superiority of the system is too obvious to
require comment. In New York nearly-if
not quite-all the piers are owned by the
city and only a small tax for their use is i'm
posed upon commerce. 1t is clearly the true
principle for cities to attract and hold bust
ness by offering to it cheap and convenient
accommodations.
The transfer of the Atlantic terminus of
our lines of English steamers to Boston for
want of accommodations to do their business
here would be serious blow to our city. The
Grand Trunk Railway Company, whose inter-
est it is to keep them here, shows dis
position to cooperate with us to that end.
Should Portland do its part by providing a
wharf, to be leased for a term of years at
nominal rent, the Grand Trunk would proba-
bly, be ready to erect an elevator and other
necessary buildings. The matter is mpor.
tant and should not be neglected. The city
government should investigate and take such
action as the exigency demands. Our citi-
zens will sustain them in any reasonable ex'
penditure for the protection of this great
interest