The Portland daily press., 1875-03-26
THE MAINE CENTRAL MEETING


The Boston Advertiser eastern Railroad)
says editorially:
The annual meeting of the Maine Central
Railroad Company, held at Watervllle yester-
day, resulted in the election of board OF d.
rectors said to be in the interest of the Eastern
Railroad. so far as the general public cares
about the matter, it is only concerned about
the consequences in the extent, quality and
cheapneSs of the accommodations afforded.
There is no reason to fear that the change Will
be to the disadvantage of the public in these
respects. 1t is not much to be wondered at
that the people of Maine, and particularly the
Maine stockholders, are disappointed and
somewhat indignant that the control OF thelr
road passes into the possession OF Doard OF
directors a majority of whom live in other
states. 1t is al greater cause for wonder that
Maine did not lose possession OF her great
through line sooner, as Vermont and New
Hampshire had done before The results, IL
nancially and otherwise, are to be known by
experience. Meanwhile the stockholders Will
probably see that the interests of the directors
are iden teal with their own interests; that all
desire to see the line and its traffic fully devel-
oped, and that the change does certainly give
the road the benefit of larger capital and a
better money market. We hope. and believe
that the event will justify none OF the appre-
tensions of the disappointed stockholders
The Bangor Wing says:
The Eastern people are credited with the
emphatic declaration that they do not intend
to revive any Determinations against the Bos-
ton & Maine, and we trust that this statement
may be borne out by the fact Ii it shall prove
otherwise the people will again have reason to
complain of the failure of successive Leglsla-
lures to place the railway rights OF the pueilc
beyond the reach of wraDgling corporations,
and the demand for an explicit law on the SUB
iect of connections and interchange OF trafhc
will make itself heard at Augusta.
sToby Candor' OF the Boston Journal thus
foreshadows the policy of the new managers,
evidently speaking by the book:
The fact that majority of the Board is COM
posed of Maine men, who have at heart the In
terests of this state, is a sufficient answer to
the allegation that has been made, that the
road by the action of its stockholders to-day
was to pass into hands unfriendy to the inter
ests of Maine. 1t is true that parties in the
interests of the Eastern road own controlling
portion of Maine Central stock, but this did
not influence them from giving Maine pre-
ponderance in the Board of Management,
which they considered their paramount duty.
There will undoubtedly be some parties who
will view the present Board with disfavor, on
the ground that the Maine Central is now COM
pletely in the hands of foreign corporation,
which will place the business interests OF
Maine at its mercy. At Portland there may
be certain parties who will grumble, because
only one director was selected from that city,
and the hackneyed cry of determination
against the interests of Portland may be
made; but any expressions of dissatisfaction
raised or any attempt to PREJUDICE the policy OF
the Maine Central under the new management
will not find favor in our mercantile communl-
ties at large. Indeed, there is not the slightest
disposition on the part of the new Board, from
utterances alreadysmade, to enter upon a pol
icy that will find the least disfavor in Maine
The interests of Maine and the interests OF
the Maine Central will be regarded as Identical.
The same management that has made the
Eastern road noticeable for its rolling STOCK,
condition of track station houses, signal sys-
tenn &c., will be applied to the management
of the Maine Central, and such increased facil-
tiles to shippers of freight and the travelling
public will be given that no complaint can
Justly be made. There is every reason to be
lieve that in the line of policy to be pursued
the business interests of the people of Maine
will be consulted 10 every particular, and that
DO patron will suffer any inconvenience or be
placed under any disadvantage. Neither is
there any intention to move the offices OF the
company from Augusta. So far as another
railroad war growing out of the change that
has been made, such apprehensions appear 10
be looked upon as groundless. The past has
already demonstrated that such quarrels are
profitless and ruinous to all concerned. The
railroad prosperity OF Maine mas now q more
auspicious look than ever, besides the action of
to day may be regarded as the first satisfactory
step that has been taken for close connection
between Halifax and Boston.
The Boston Traveller says:
The change in the management of the Maine
Central Railroad will undoubtedly prove ad-
yaptaeeous to the stockholders, though many
of them strongly opposed it; to the people of
Maine, though it is against their wishes; to the
Eastern Railroad, with which it is hereafter to
have a closer connection; and to the business
and travelling public Its new directors are
men of experience. some OF Wnom nave gwen
evidence Of marked ability in the management
of railroad property.