The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-04-17
The Grand Trunk Road.
WHAT SEVERAL GENTLEMEN TOLD A
HERALD REPORTER.
Sir Hugh Allen Thinks Boston Next to
Portland the Natural Outlet of the
Grand Trunk.

yesterdays Boston Herald says the visit of
the member of the Earrings to this country is
Oh account OF the movements that are being
maze by Vanderbilt and Gould to monopolise
Inc Westsrn carrying trade, with New York as
the objective point. The Earrings, it says,
nave important interests in the Grand Trunk.
Inc Herald says the Grand Trunk are about
10 exhibit more liberal policy ana adapt it.
SELF TO the wants of the American public. 1t
gives sketch of the importance of the Grand
Trunk, and its branches, we'll known here,
says that the Grand Trunk is not interested
directly or indirectly in the proposed CONSOLE
datlon OF the Boston & Maine and Eastern
foads--whch is highly probable, as the Boston
y Maine has no intention of consolidating
ana says the Grand Trunk would not favor
such a consultations; in fact it would be det-
riment
"A gentleman said: Let me tell you why we
don't look with favor upon union of the two
ROADS under single management In the first
place the Bostan & Maine and the Eastern, as
well as the Boston & Lowell and its inmedi-
ate connection, the Nashua & Lowell-all
short roads, comparatively-are as you will
see at a glance, dependent upon the Grand
Trunk for their western traffic. The Grand
Trunk alone has created and built up their
traffic connected with the foreign export bust
ness of Boston, that of the Lowell road, how
ever, representing most of the business and
making it "a strong road" Under single
supervision the consolidated road would be ell
abled to dictate a schedule of rates which the
Grand Trunk would have to adopt or accept,
80 far as its through business via Portland is
concerned, and thus would its profits be af-
fected, more or less, especially since, according
to the rules of "pooling," the long haul would
be entitled to certain equitable share, while
arbitrary rates would drive the Boston business
OF the road away, or divert it to its northern
connecting roads through Vermont and New
Hampshire to Lowell. Under the existing con-
dition of things so far as the Eastern and the
Boston & Maine roads are concerned their
competition for the Boston business of the
Grand Trunk is their life-blood, in a certain
sense. Both roads connecting with the Grand
Trunk at Portland, the latter now has the
choice of roads for it's business, and in effect
regulates their rates, and both roads are q
check on eachother, and both strive to "secure
all the Grand Trunks bus ness possible You
will thus see, it was added s'that consolida
ton of the two roads would be of no real ben
eff. to either of them, so far as the Boston
business of the Grand Trunk is concerned. The
Grand Trunk is just as well off in fact as if it
came to Boston over .s oyn iron. 1t is posi-
Bile the Grand Trunk may invest sum for
nadInO al hn Mxyctio urho or
other year. The boards of trade of Chicago,
Detroit and Boston are cooperating in devising
plan so the Grand Trunk can have all the
Western and export business it can attend to
The Grand Trunk suffer for terminal facilities
in Boston, and the South Boston flats could be
made great distributing center. Sir Hugh
Allan thinks Boston neat to Portland-the
natural outlet for cargoes of Western produce
for his steamship lines. What Sir Hugh Allan
wants is terminal facilities. The sailing of
ocean steamship lines in connection with the
Grand Trunk railway constitutes an import
ant factor in the vast business of the corpora
ton, yet few persons are aware of the magni-
tude of the business The Allan, Dominion
and Beaver ocean lines sail between Quebec
and Baltimore forLiverpool also the Ross and
Temperley lines to London Allan and Donald
son Clyde lines to Glasgow, and the Great
Western line to Ayonmouth dock, near Bris-
toll, during the summer season, and from and
to Portland or Halifax during the winter sea-
son. This is the shortest route across the At
lantic. The bills in Congress aimed at the
Crank Trunk, like Congressman Hurd's bill,
are blows at the Grand Trunk, an Independent
line which Vanderbilt and Gould cannot med
die with.