The Portland daily press., 1885-04-11
AROUSED.
Portland Business Men Annoyed
by Lack of Express Facilities.
An Interview with President Dewitt of
the Union Mutual.

There is great deal OF feeling among busi-
ness men in this city in regard to the present
arrangement, or disarrangement rather, of ex-
press facilities between Portland and the West
A reporter for the PRESS called upon President
Dewitt OF the Union Mutual Insurance Com
pany of Maine yesterday and tho following
conversation ensued.
Reporter Can you tell me anything, Mr..
Dewitt. about the dissatisfaction expressed by
the business men with the express arrange
ments2
Mr.. DeWitt-An express package addressed
to the Union Mutual sent from New York to-
day ought to reach Boston the next morning,
In ample time to be transferred to the 9 a. m.
train for Portland, reaching this city at p. M
Instead OF that the express company brings
the package from New York to Boston and
there transfers it to the hands Of one of the
Portland ~express companies, whose usual
means of reaching Portland is by the boat, so
that the package does not arrive until the fol-
lowing morning This is not the worst, but
the best, of the case, for, if the weather should
be stormy or foggy, delay of twelve or
more hours must occur. Even il the boat
should start from Boston with good weather,
she may run into fog, or stormy weather,
and then have TO put into a harbor along the
coast where the express matter must remain
until the steamer starts for Portland, or il Is
demo Dstrated that the steamer may have to
stay several days, when the express material
is put on the cars and sent to Portland, having
made an additional delay of from one to three
days in this way. 1t will thus be seen that
freights sent by New York steamer or by rail-
roads breaches Portland in some instances much
quicker than express packages do. In the case
of the Maine Mutual the matter is not SO Sc
rious IS their express packages consist of PAM
phlets agents reports, etc.
Reporter-Is it trae, Mr.. Dewitt, that the
delays and annoyancss are serious as regards
the banks?
Mr. DeWitt-In conversation with our lead
ing bank officers, understand such to be the
case. When they require currency to be ex-
pressed to them for local use that money is
subjected to the risk of sea voyage and, if
lost by perls Of tha ocean, the banks have only
small local express company to assume the
responsibility for their losses. Then there is
the delay in the use Of the money and the loss
of interest during the delay, which varies
sometimes from one to three days.
Reporter-What is the cause of this state of
things?
Mr. Dewitt The trouble is owing to
quarrel between the Adams and American
Express Companies over their Boston business,
the result of which is that the Adams and 9TH
or express companies connected with them
don't deliver their Portland packages to the
American Express Company in Boston. On
the other hand the American is obliged to
send all its express packages to Albany. thus
making day's.delay in shipping matter from
Portland to New York.
Rsporter-What cau tho railroads between
here and Boston do to alleviate the difficulty,
If anything?
Mr.. DsWitt-In the abstract, nothing. In
the matter of looking to careful protection of
Portland interests, great deal. When such
quarrel takes place the proper thing for mana
gers Of the consolidated roads to Boston to
have done would have been to notify the ex-
press companies, especially the one running
over their line, that the quarrel must be ar
ranged or they would protect their Portland
business men by doing the business them
selves The evident lack of desire TO help Port
land is apparent to ans one who has watched
the two roads. There Is no place In the Union
whore business men are so harrassed and an
noyed for lack of facilities as the city of Port
land For instance business man in Boston can
take his breakfast with his family, visit PORT
land, have five hours to transact his business
here, and be at home at $50 p. m. If Port.
land merchant goes to Boston be must be
aboard the train by 6.15 a. m. and doesn't
reach home until IL p. Our travelling men
are always asking how long Portland men will
submit to. the imposition without protest.
There isn't city of tho sizs of Boston con-
nected with city the size of Portland that
doesn't afford the smaller city every facility.