The Portland daily press., 1883-08-14
RAILWAY NOTES
The Feeling About the the Boston and
Maine and Eastern Lease in Maine.

A special dispatch to the Journal from Port
land says: "The question of whether or not
the Boston s. Maine railroad shall lease the
Eastern railroad has recently been brought
quite directly to the attention of the people of
this State by the action Of large proportion
of the stockholders of the Maine Central rail-
road. Ever since the movement was started
last winter quiet discussion of tue subject
has been going on in business and private cir
cles, and the action of the New Hampshire
Legislature has been carefully scrutinized, as
the answer to the question seems to be in its
hands. That there has been an opposition to
such a lease no one will deny, but this feeling
has not been universal. There are many peo-
pie friendly to the lease from economical con-
siderations. But while this has been the geE-
eral situation among the wholesale firms of
Portland, whose aim it is to secure the lowest
through freghts from the West for the benefit
of their customers, many other business men
in the eastern part of the State, are opposed to
any change in the management Of the Eastern
railroad Why is this? The business men of
this city are anxious to secure the best possible
terminal facilities. At present the Grand
Trunk is the only road that can properly ac-
commodate wholesale grain dealers, and this
is done through the aid of its elevator. The
facility thus afforded for Immediately unload
ing and storing carloads of grain enables the
road to return its cars without delay, and the
dealers in this city on this account, are given
freight rates IL cent lower than by other roads,
and no charge is made for storage. Three
fourths of cent is thus saved the dealer on
every bushel of grain handled, but the eDor-
nous freight traffic on that road causes such
frequent long delays in the receipt Of grain
that large proportion Of this commodity is
shipped to this city over other roads, and has
to stand in the cars till sales are concluded,
and the grain is re-shipped to its final
destination. 1t is hoped by a union OF the
roads that some arrangements may be perfect
ed to better the present terminal facilities, and
that the Portland and Ogdensburg will also be
a party to the arrangement On the other
hand the business men of the eastern and
northern portions of the State are satisfied with
the present arrangements between the roads,
and base their opposition upon the following
grounds: First, consolidation will remove the
advantages to be derived from competition be-
tween the roads; second, they have full conf
dence in the management of the Eastern and
Maine Central Railroads; third, the fear that
the Maine Central will not retain its individ-
uality-that is, that instead OF being allowed
to dictate in certain respects to its Boston con-
nection, it will be treated arbitrarily and will
lose portion OF its present prosperity. The gen.
erous management Of the road and its attend
ant prosperity have been very gratifying to the
people of Maine, and anything threatening
change will be strongly opposed. Many cour-
tesies have also been extended the business
men of this State by the Eastern Railroad, and
il the lease is consumated it is feared these fa-
vors will cease. The Bangor Board of Trade
has voiced this sentiment in adopting resolu-
ton opposed to the lease OF the Eastern road
and if those favorable to consolidation con-
tinue TO urge their claims other opposition will
probably assume such definite form as to result
in legislative action.
To show how the generous management Of
the Maine Central and the Eastern Railroads
has increased shipments from the eastern part
Of the State, we cite couple of instances
From January to July, 1880. there were shipped
from points east of Bangor 80 900 NJ of shin
giles. During the same period in 1881 they
amounted to 80, ,976 M; in 1882 they increased
to 60 TAT NJ, and in 1883 the shipments had in
creased to 102,313M M. OF the potato crop of
1879 there were shipped 474 600 bushels, and of
the crop OF 1882 752, 900 bushels. The manage
ment that has caused this increase of shipments
has caused an increase in the gross earnings of
the Maine Central, for the nine months ending
last June, of Sl76,935, and of the Eastern road
for the same period the increase was S14S, ,943,
enough TO enable the road 60 meet all its obi-
cations and have a surplus left in the treasury.
Or the through freights from Boston to points
east Of Portland the Eastern brings to the Maine
Central about two-tlirds and the Boston q
Maine one-third, and, as the result OF pooling
contract entered into by the roads in 1877 on
business to competing points, the Eastern will
this year pay to the Boston and Maine about
$60,OOO. II is in view of such figures as these
that the holders of about one-fourth of the
Maine Central stock havo called meeting to
oppose the completion of the proposed lease.
Among tho signers of the call for this meeting
are parties who, n few months ago, favored tne
lease OF the Eastern road, but II the announce