The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-12-11
The Elevator.

RIGHT to buy wharf to help railroad put up
an elevator thereon is, in my Judgment, not
tenable proposition. 1t was doubtless felt so
to be since we find the projectors of the enter
prise providing for q certain amount of "mu-
ncipar' use of said wharf, in landing curb
ing stone, paving stone, etc., whatever tne
"etc" may embrace In reference to the al
legged municipal use it is altogether too small
to warrant the designed expenditure. Besides,
no room could be spared for the specified work
if the elevator proves success. The 'muhlci-
pal uses argument has no weight as support
ing any such outlay as is proposed, ana may ne
dismissed at once from consideration.
An elevator stood on the proposed site hf-
teen wears, In that time it loaded, or partly
loaded, one steamer! 1t loaded sundry vessels
with oats during the war, smaiiish craft, draw
ing but little water. 1t served some local con-
venience for grain spectators in holding grain
at very low cost to them. This is the total
record Of its usefulness. 1t was as utter
failure as ever money was wasted upon.
The reasons for this are not far to seek. In
the first place the site is unfit. There is not
space enough, and the space is not of the
proper shape. An elevator should be so located
that parallel tracks, as required, may be run
alongside and through it, and trains of twenty
cars more or less, brought up, emptied, and
showed along out of the way, without backing
and filling, and delaying the operations of the
elevator. This cannot be done on Calls
wharf. Moreover, sufficient depth of water
cannot be got in the docks alongside. Excava-
ton, if carried to depth to admit an Allan
steamer, or any other of large, size, would
cause the whole concern to tumble down and
out into the dock. If the building were full OF
grain Portland would have to pay for it, and
pay all the other damage, and pretty bill it
that can be carried at the point safely. Fur
Their, the steamers that come here do not take
grain in bulk. They are strongly disincined
to do so. There are no elevators in Liverpool,
and it is found better to put the gram IN pags,
as it can be more cheaply handled. Once in q
while little bulk grain is taken. and lot OF
peas, but the sum total is small Not over one
third the cargoes of the steamers is grain.
The bulk is pork, beef, bacon, cheese, butter,
ore, ETC., etc.
As regards large shipments of grain for
trans-ocean ports there is as yet no satisfactory
evidence that the Grand Trunk can compete
with the roads centering at New YORK or BAL
timore. with their much shorter mileage 10
build elevators, or to provide for elevators at
large cost, before there is any assurance that
the business can be carried on on a large scale
would be unwise. If private parties or COR
pora:ions are disposed to experiment. let it be
at their own, not the public cost. Grain ship,
pers class so we'll known in New York and
Montreal and to some extent in Baltimore,
who manage the whole of trans-ocean grain
shipment, are unknown here. Now to put
$130,000 of the city's money into a venture, IN
the hope that somebody will drift along ana
save it from loss is foolish. 1t is unJustlhaDle.
| An elevator would be locally Convenient That
may be conceded. But it is not indispensable
for even local uses. The Galt-Bloek elevator
cost but $4,000, it is said; and this with one or
| two more, associated with existing storage
room, would do all the grain-lifting required
| for local purposes
1t has not made an altogether agreeable i'm
preston that just at the nick of time when
| s'extraordinary demand is made upon the
| treasury of the city of Portland by the rail-
road Interested, that it should be found restor-
| ing to us, as if for the emergency and with
| considerable flourish of newspaper trumpets &,
the advantage in freights which belongs to us
| by our position, and which we should have had
| from the first. The writer, on his part, finds
| it not possible to conceive that the colncl-
/ cidental. So accustomed have we become to
! the discrimination against us, as compared
| with Boston, maintained for years, that this
| restoration to us of what would be thought an
| obvious right is actually hailed as a boon for
| the indulgept corporation! But let the past be
| past. The main question is what security have
we that the old discrimination will not be re-
stored when once the railroad has got our prop
erty? Will the railroad pledge itself to secure
| to us by written agreement and pledge our
have no objection to this il it means to do it. J!
it will Tot secure us it should have no further ad
| from the city. But further the reduction OF
rates extends to only ''grain and -four" How
about the bacon, pork, beef, ore, and Other
freight to this port? Has the reduction been
made on these also? Has it likewise been Sc
cured to us permanently? How is it about the
| lower-province business? Does Portland gel
'fiour and grain" or anything else, at as low
figures as the Montreal shipper commands at
our wharves, who supplies the provincial mar
| ket? Is not the discrimination so heavy
| against us that Montreal and other points com
mand the trade to the substantial exclusion o.
Portland? Will the Grand Trunk please show
its full hand, not merely single trump, in thu
| matter of freights, when it asks us for further
| help?
If the railroad will secure to Portland for all
time the relative advantage over Boston that Il
due us by our position and by what we have
done for the road in past time, not on an artl
Gle or two but on the whole list, then we Nigh
feel some disposition to go in with something
like unanimity into this elevator Business ever
if it is not legal and promises little advantage
but not on Cats eohart. That is not the place
for it. Located there, it would prove an lnevl
table and total failure, as before. To assume
that there is but one site for an elevator (ant
that good for nothing) on our whole shore line
is monstrous absurdity. The Grand Iruni
has far better on its own premises, 1t Fort
land is to put money into such job, at leas
let it be where there is a probability something
in rhe course of human events, OF some consld
cradle good coming of it. :,
The truth is that except perhaps small at
fair for bagging grain, the railroad wants no ell
evator here. 1t would find the wharf conven
lent for its Province business, for storing coal
rails, old iron, etc., and that is about all ther
is to it, Perhaps our people would like to pro
vide wharf for such purpose. We owe
great deal to the Grand Trunk railroad, and
great deal to other railroads too. But whe
we put out the citys money on railroad &C
count, we ought to do it not under false impres
sions, for purposes and in places which expert
ence declares against, and notl without assur
ances that the good we have vouchsafed us tc
day shall not be wrested from US tomorrow.
PORTLAND
mn rAl..