The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-10-20
Portland and Her Steamship Lines.

Next in Importance to the lines of railway
centering in our city and connecting us with
Canada, the West and the intermediate coun-
try, are the lines of ocean steamers supply
ing the connecting link which puts us into
communication with the whole civilized
world. These steamship lines at first give
but little business directly to the city, but
they are essential to the maintenance of the
railway lines, and are Our main reliance for
developing our commercial resources, and
making Portland the shipping port of Canada
and the West.
The effect of establishing such lines is to
increase the commercial importance of the
port, enlarge its imports and exports, attract
Foreign capital and quicken all the currents of
trade. The relation of the railway and
steamship lines to each other, and to our
city, was happily expressed by Prof. Hitch
cock some years since on some public occa-
sion in this city, in the sentiment, "The city
of Portland-she has long had one arm
stretched out over the water and is now
stretching the other over the land. May they
both be filled with wealth."
Boston, Philadelphia and Baltimore have
been making great exertions to establish
ocean steamship lines in connection with their
railways TO the West, and have thus far only
partially succeeded. In competing for West
ern business alone, we have no superiority
over either of the cities named, and in some
respects they are superior to us. They have
the advantage in population, in well estab-
lished manufactures which furnish freights,
and in the possession of large capital with
which 10 create facilities for the development
of business. Baltimore and Philadelphia
are nearer to the great distributing points Of
the West than Portland. We have the adj
vantage in geographical position, relative to
Great Britain and her North American colo
MES, in our connection through the Grand
Trunk with Canada, which furnishes so large
a percentage of the business for European
steamers, as well as with the West, and in
being the Atlantic terminus of line owned
and controlled by English capitalists whose
interest is to have the channel of trade be-
our city, and who have an influence in direct
ing such trade, which no American company
can command. Our harbor is one of the best
in the world, and we are so fortunate
in the natural advantages of our port
that we ale inclined, so far as steamship ac-
commodations are concerned, to rely almost
exclusively upon them, and to neglect the i'm
provements necessary to make them availa-
BILE. We have made lavish expenditures for
the building of railroads, but have done very
little to provide facilities for the business
which they bring to us; and while other cities
have been making great exertions to secure
Tor their ports lines of ocean steamers, we
have allowed those which seek accommoda-
tons at ours to leave US for the want of IA
cilities which could have been provided at
trifiing cost. The loss which followed the
withdrawal ola line of steamers from our
port is by no means to be measured by the
direct loss of trade resulting therefrom. The
far greater and more serious loss is in the
moral effect of such withdrawal upon trade
generally-the loss of prestige which is GER
tain to follow any indication of decline of
trade in city.
IL tuio WCiC plNdLc LudItOI duCCtiuS Ouly
the interests of the railway and steamship
lines or private parties, it might be left with
those SO directly interested. But it is mat
ter which directly affects the interests of the
city, is of vital importance to its future pos
perity, and deserves the immediate attention
of our citizens.
The Argus suggests that the city build an
elevator which would certainly be an impor-
tant step toward supplying the deficiency in
accommodations and would probably be sufi-
cient to induce the transportation companies
to do the rest. We suggest that the city pur-
chase Galt's wharf-as it undoubtedly has
legal right to do-and lease it to the Grand
Trunk Railway Co. for term of years,-say
twenty-at nominal rent, In which case the
company would probably be willing to erect
the necessary buildings, and the city would
retain the ownership of a piece of property
that must constantly appreciate in value.
There are many other ways in which tie diff
Guilty can be met without very great outlay
and the matter is of too much Importance to
be allowed to drift, when we can SO easily
give it guidance aud direction.
Tim oofioY, Of prl,ceia in tho oh loo mi die