The Portland daily press., 1883-12-15
The Maine Central Railroad.

The result of the annual meeting of the
Eastern railroad company confirmed the
report that had gained general credence
ers who favor lease of that road to the
Boston & Maine road intend to crush out all
opposition to that scheme so far as the man.
agement of the corporation is concerned.
The removal of President Jackson means
this and this only. The only ground of OPP
position to his reelection was that he did
not favor the lease. 1t was not charged
that his management of the affairs of the
road had been unsuccessful. Indeed the re-
suit Of the years business proved that 1t had
been successful in an extraordinary degree.
But the men who happened to control ma
jority of the stock and bonds Of the road,
and who were few in number, compared
with the whole number of the stock and
bondhclders, had decreed that President
jackson must 60, because he differed with
them on the lease question, and go he did
The great majority of the stock and bond
holders opposed any change, and so the
weight of opinion was with the President.
The weight of stock was the other way,
however.
The policy of the Eastern railroad would
be matter of little consequence to the peo-
pie of Maine In general were it not for the fact
that that road owns a majority of the stock
of the Maine Central road, a corporation in
whose management the people of this State
feel a deep interest. The change in the
1saSvor may Iar~u, anu propapiy does
mean, change in the management of the
Maine Central. The men who have made
the Eastern solid for the lease, intend to
make the Maine Central solid for it.
OF course the turning out of one set of
officers and the putting in of another does
not settle the lease question, though it is
step in that direction. All opposition will
not be silenced by that maneuvre. There
win still be left weapons to fight it with and
men to use them. But change OF the
Maine Central's management will fully ac-
complish one serious result. 1t will deprive
the road of president who has demonstrat-
will and the ability to accomplish what
ought to be the two great ends of all rail-
roads, namely, to make them pay, and to
make them satisfy the demands of the gen.
eral public When a railroad gets man
of this kind at its head it ought
to keep him there. But unfortunately at
the coming meeting of the Maine Central
road such considerations as these are likely
to be pushed aside and the lease question to
be alone considered in determining who
shall 60 and who shall stay 1t would prob
ably be difficult to fni half dozen individ-
ual stockholders in the State of Maine who
want any change whatever in the manage
ment of the road. 1t would probably be as
difficult TO find as many of The general pub
lie, outside of those who have axes to grind
by the Eastern lease, who desire any change
Stockholders, security holders and general
public are all satisfied with the present man
agement. The change, if change there be,
will be made by the men who control the
Eastern railroad, and its sole purpose will
be to further the lease scheme. 1t would BIO
strange il scheme for the promotion of
which Its friends are willing to assume SO
much responsibility should escape the sus.