The Portland daily press., 1883-12-17
The Railroad Situation.

To the Editor of the Press.
The ousting of Mr.. jackson from the presidency
OF the Eastern Railroad appears to have excited
some surprise. But why should it? 1t is but one
link iu the chain that has long been forging to di-
vest Maine of control of her railroads. and is make
Portland way station and suburban dependency
of Boston. Whether he is to be deposed or not
from the presidency of the Maine Central will
make little difference go far as Portland and Maine
interests are concerned. The control of the rail-
road transportation through this State has already
passed from the hands of our people and centers in
Boston. The proposed lease of the Eastern to the
Boston & Maine will be only the contamination of
the long cherished purpose of Boston to obtain abb
soute control of arterialsystem of roads which
the early friends of Portland railway enterprise
foresaw and sought to guard against. To raise
even faint protest against it at this late day is
only new expression of wisdom after the fact
which is usually futile. The simple fact is our
people have been taxed heavily, not only to build
roads designed to benefit Portland and the State
but municipal Indebtedness has been incurred all
Maine to concentrate in the hands of foreign
capitalists control of the fruits of our local effort
and sacrifice Col. French raised his voice the 9th
er day against having the Eastern under the con-
troll of the Earrings, which was natural enou h. But
land, our railway system may as well be under the
control of foreign as Massachusetts, bankers. In
either case they will consult their interests, not
ours and it is of little avail to protest at this late
day. And yet it may not be amiss to call attention
to the condition by way of exciting vigilance SO far
as may be of any avail in the future Whoever
controls the transportation of State regu ates the
price of its products and industry and becomes
master of its people. This proposition is too obvi-
require demonstration. Though for years
step by step and link by link Boston has been forg
ing chain to bind Maine industry and trade to
herself, the end thereof is not yetseen. When
the contamination shall be reached, and that not
far distant people will begin to wake up to the
fact that it is dangerous thing to place the power
of fixing tolls and rates in the hands of masters
over whom we have little or no jurisdiction. If
Boston controls the Maine Central she controls the
price of Maine products, except, thank fortune
as limited by the remaining right of Maine people
Maine would be left in hopeless condition. Imag-
inc for a moment the absorption, by the Boston &
Maine, of the exclusive right to water communica-
ton between Portland and Boston. How long
would it be before fares and freigts would advance
to extent that would make Rome howl?' We
may thank stars that Casco Bay and the sea all
along our coast are still accessible and inaienabe
This, however, does not relieve the interior of
Maine from thralldom to foreign tollgatherers re-
strained only by fear of exactons too severe to pro-
mote their exclusive interests. great deal has
been said against the spirit of monopoly exhibit
ed by Jay Gould and men of his type but who has
raised his voice against RELOCATING Maine back
again to her pristine dependence upon and mere
appurtenance to Massachusetts? Our governors
and legislators have been painfully oblivious of the
fact that the independence of the State has been
slipping from the control of our own people and
everything asked by our new masters granted with
ont scarcely protest. The press, which used TO
TEEN with articles full of light and yigor, has APP
parenty been sleeping over the situation, until
it is just beginning to dawn upon its vision that
there is danger ahead. Meantime Boston smiles,
and her press contempates that the last link of
railway system, the Portland & Ogdensburg, will
sooner or later, be gobbled up in some way to com
plete the triumphs of Massachusetts skill and
power. Perhaps it will be; who can tell? 1t can
not be done except by Portland's consent. And
there measurably, lies our safety. Itwoud have
been well If the wisdom inculcated by the orignat
ors of Portlond railway enterprise, such as Judge
Preble, John Anderson, John A. Poor and their
contemporaries had not apparently died with them.
M