The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-01-29
Maine Railroads.



Report of the Railroad Commissioners.
The Report of the Railroad Commissioners,
Messrs, S. H. Blake of Bangor, John f. An
derson of Windham, and A. w. Wildes OF
Skowhegan, has been sent to the Governor and
contains matters of general interest.
GENERAL CONDITION,
The Commissioners state that in their exam
ination of the several railroads OF Maine the
past year, they have found them to be general
" in very fair condition, and, measured by
the ordinary standard OF this country under
reasonably good management. In common
with too many other American railroads, there
is throughout those of Maine, very unsatis
factory incompleteness apparent to every
thoughtful observer. None are absolutely COM
plete, remark the commissioners; scarcely one
has single department thorough while al
most all have no doubt wasted and perverted
means enough to have their essential par is in
perfect order and condition. The essential
agencies for thorough-going railroad traffic are,
first, a track and way of uniform integrity;
second, faithfully mot extravagantly) con-
structed rolling stock; and finally, skilled, de-
voted men, sy Systematically organized and disci-
plined by an efficient executive. The report
speaks of defective management, remarkng
that to every passenger it is obvious that rail-
way officials, from the trackman to the execu-
tive, are, as a rule, more or less faulty in the
full discharge of their duties.
REMARKS ABOUT MANAGEMENT.
In the opinion of the Commissioners, Grail
way accident is a misnomer, as ordinarily ap-
piled. Such events may be traced to a fault or
a crime, and it is submitted that can investi-
eating committee that does not entirely ex-
haust every resource attainable or hesitates to
unequivocally establish the misdeed upon some
amenable party, and shows that it fails to es-
TEEN the public safety as a paramount to every
other consideration, Is weakly derelict in its
own duty, and should be regarded, and, if prac-
ticable, treated as an accessory after the act it
condones. 1t is apprehended that the Initiate
ry measures that result in these catastrophes
too often have 4heir origin in false notions of
economy on the part of the direction OF rail-
roads. To this class of markedly able and
skilled men of business. accustomed to deal
mostly in monetary affairs and to regard the
strctest economy of expenditures as the very
essence of success, the difference in the par-
chasable rate of materials, manufactures and
men, is apt to have greater weight than their
intrinsic and inbred qualities If the direction
of a railway is actuated by no higher motives
of its responsibility, the wasteful expenditure
of life and treasure in disasters growing out of
such management should teach that this econo-
my of purpose is real improvidence; and an in
dignant people should refuse to accept the plea
of inevitable accident in excuse for its conse-
quences."
The Commissioners then'go on to state that
this false economy is quite conspicuous in the
lower grades of the personnel of the service,
in nd fvnlsE flo
source of disaster not only to the public but to
the business interests and stability of railways
The deleterious influence of cheap material
here is far more baneful than in a wheel that
smoothly performs its evolutionS for more than
100000 miles before it breaks"
SOURCES oE WASTE.
The Commissioners condemn the extrava-
giant style of cars, and believe that every dollar
of outlay in their cost and finish beyond the
points of safety and comfort is unnecessary,
and in tendency mischievous. "It is crafty
ing" they say, "to perceive growing condem-
nation of the pondenous department. cars that
have been tugged over the roads of Maine at
such a constant loss to the railroad companies
in the wear and tear their passage effects; un-
necessary, absurdly heavy, and too often often
sively conducted by irresponsible servants. for
WHOSE IulSCOuuuCt bu6T6 Is uO T6lu6uy StlOrb CT
the proprietors, who abide in another State,
and to whose sole benefit, pecuniarily, they are
maintained. 1t is believed that the COMPARE
lively small portion of the travelling public
who in this State occupy these cars may be
equally well provided for in all respects in cars
constructed for, owned and controlled by, the
railway companies, which might then reap all
the benefits that in any way accrue from the
use of such cars, and reduce the dead weight
thirty or even forty per cent.
In the adoption Of more simple style and
make of cars it is estimated that a train of ten
passenger cars may be reduced in weight thirty
tons, and in cost $4,000 below those in pres
ent use, with positive gain both to the stock
says the report, ''that there are owned by the
railroad companies operating wholly or partly
in Maine, little less than 800 locomotives, and
rather more than 500 passenger, cars: The say5
w6uf 10 t5Est The simple inter
est on this sum is 100000. Now, the average
cost of operating these roads is roper cent. of
their gross earnings. Hence they have to earn
5000 900 annually to net the simple interest on
a needless excuse of expenditure in engines
and cars But in the general practice, to meet
the rate of interest actually paid on this sum
of money, the gross earnings annually absorb
ed would be not less than 100000. And if the
representation of chap. IL of the Great Indus
tries of the United States is correct, that the
average life of car is but nine years, and that
of locomotives be the same, then in every de-
cade more than Sc, 100000 of these companies
earnings are foolishly perverted"
The Commissioners CONNIE nd the strict en-
forcement of the rigid system of management
adopted by the Grand Trunk Railway Compa-
ny, and also renew the suggestion made in
former REPORT, of urging upon railroad mana
gers consideration of the, value and expedi-
ency of decreeing rewards for extra merit in
the several grades of the service, each decree
of merit to have an attached value in money,
as well as its appropriate badge.
CONSOLIDATION
The Commissioners give their views on the
consolidation of railroads. They recognize
some ground of apprehension that consolida-
ton might concentrate power in more direct
action, and possibly for limited period give
to this interest an influence in general affairs
inconsistent with its true province as common
carrier of persons and things. But the undue
exercise of this or any authority would be sure
to hasten its own overthrow" But waving it
as political question, the Commissioners re-
mark hualIy, that "a general consolidation of
the several railway companies of State into
one management would undoubtedly tend to
uniformity of rates, and render an overruling
determination of their limits more feasible, at
time when, if ever, the necessity for such
prOtectlOn OF the pubic might become more
apparent" They are also of the opinion that
''any legislation essaying to deal in specific
manner with rail or car connections, power
brakes, or any other of the minor details of the
service, may seriously disturb the true solution
of questions under experimental investigation
by every important railroad company in the
country"
NEW ROADS, ETC.
No new roads have been opened for passen-
ger travel the past year, excepting the Boston
and Maine extension to Portland. The Somer-
set road from West Waterville has been opened
thirteen miles to the north side of the river at
Norridgewock. The Lewiston and Auburn
branch is nearly graded. The Bucksport and
Bangor railroad is well under way, and will be
completed this year. 1t is to conn ,ct with the
European and North American road at Ban
gor.
Several patent inventions of Maine men for
Inc hanaht OF railroads ocorr1r1cr1r4ccf.--
1t is suggested that all returns from Railroad
companies shall be rendered by December 1 for
each year ending September 30
The Commissioners give as the totar mileage
in Maine 900 IA miles.
PORTLAND AND OGDENsBURG RAILROAD.
This road is steadily and surely advancing
toward completion. The receipts from passen-
gers, freight, etc., have been $144, 1882 26; ex