Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-02-07
MAINE RAILROADS.
Annual Report OF the Commissioners
for the Year 1887.

The report of the Board of Railroad Com
missioners for the year 1887 is now nearly
ready for the State Binder and the following
abstract, which we are permitted to make, will
show the complete and thoroughly successful
manner in which the COMMUNICATED.
A. W Wildes and ID. W. Mortland-have
their office.
The Commissioners note with a feeling of
gratitude and pleasure, that, while a series of
appalling accidents have occurred on many
railroads in other states during the past year,
the railroads in Maine have been comparative
ly free from accidents of any kind.
The reports of the various railroad com
panies in the State show most gratifying and,
it is to be believed permanent increase in
business both in passenger and freight earn
ings notwithstanding that during the early
part of the season many railroads on the sea-
board were seriously affected by some of the
provisions of the Interstate Commerce Law,
which provisions, in effect, tended to divert
freight traffic from railroads to steam and
other vessels at all competing points.
During the year the Commissioners have
made two examinations of the tracks,
viaducts and culverts of the several railroads
in the State and found them, with few excep-
tons, very much improved,
New RAILR DADS.
During the past year the York Harbor and
Beach Railroad has been wholly constructed
and was opened to public travel on the 9Th
day of August last This railroad extends
from the Boston & Maine Railroad depot in
kittery to York Beach, distance of about
II 2-l0 miles.
The Penobscot and Lake Megantic Rail
road now known as the International railroad
is being constructed from the west line OF
the State easterly by the southern side OF
Moosehead Lake to a connection with the
European and North American railroad al
Mattawamkeag. The company hope and ex
pect to have this road completed and ready
for trains on or before Jar. lst 1889.
The Somerset Railroad Company contem-
plates the extension of their railroad from
the present terminus at North Arson, north
erly and eastery through said village and
the town of Embden to the village of Bing-
ham. n distance of about sixteen miles, and
has, during the past season, graded large
portion of same. The company hope to
have said extension completed in the early
part of the coming summer.
ORGANIZATION OF RAILROAD CoRpoRATIoNs
Notwithstanding the multiplicity of rail-
road charters granted by the Legislature
during the last session, three railroad corpo-
rations have been organized under the
general law, viz: Harmony 4 Wellington
Railroad company Rumford Falls, Andover
( Rangeley Lake Railroad company; Boston
4 Quebec Air Line Railroad company.
LAWS RELATING TO RAILROADS
The Railroad Commissioners respect
fully suggest for the consideration of our
future law makers, whether it would no,
be well at the next session of the Legislature,
by committee, to review, revise and compile
all the statute laws relating to railroads and
railroad companies under one chapter, SO
that the same can he readily found, and, if
required, could be easily published in
pamphlet form.
CowrENsArroN OF RAILWAY COMMISSION.
ERs.
The Commissioners call attention to the
defects in the present method of collecting
their compensation, which by the Legislature
of 1879 was fixed at five dollars a day. to be
paid mot by the railroad corporations but,
as in the language of the statute, "by the
railroads on which their services are rem
dered.'
At the time when this law was passed, the
duties of the board were wholly confined to
existing railroads. and mainly to an annual
examination of same. The judicial powers
and duties conferred upon the board by the
general railroad law and by subsequent en-
actments, did not then exist; nor was any
excise tax then levied upon railroads in this
State, while today the State is receiving from
railroad taxation more than $4,000 yearly
In view of these facts the commissioners
deem the compensation now fixed by Statute
entirely inadequate, since by reason OF
their increased duties they can attend to but
little if any other business.
In Massachusetts,, where by statue, the
duties to be performed are no greater. the
salary paid to the commissioners is as fol-
lows; To the chairman of the board, 81 900
to the other two, $500 each, with clerk
at a salary of 50 900. They are also furn-
ished good office rooms and a sum of money,
not exceeding five hundred dollars yearly,
for books, stationery and other incidental ex-
penses True, all these salaries and ex-
penses are assessed upon the several rail-
roads of the State, according to their gross
earnings, by the tax commissioner, and the
commissioners believe that if such a system
was adopted in Maine, it would be much bet
ter than the one now fixed by statute. There
are at the present time ilS222
Mules OF RAILROAD
in the State The commissioners notice each
road in the State as to condition and i'm
provements.
They are happy to report continued I'M
provement of the Aroostook River Railroad.
During the past season about $50 tons of
steel rails have been laid making the entire
line in Maine steel, and $1,000 ties. The
road-bed has been thoroughly ballasted and
ditched. At Caribou and Pressure Isle new
passenger stations and freight houses have
been built and extensive Improvements made.
On the New Brunswick road eleven and Eve
one hundredths miles of new sidings have
been laid and 600. 600 yards of ballast put up
on the road -bed. Thirty EIGHT bridges. six
of steel in all about lo,000 feet in length,
have been built and 40 bridges have received
needed repairs. Large additions have been
made to the equipment
The condition of the Atlantic 4 ST.
Lawrence Railroad is second to no other road
in the State Twelve and one-half miles of
new steel rails have been laid and $50, 900
expended on an ocean steamers wharf in
Portland. A new overhead bridge has been
built between So. Paris aud Oxford.
The road-bed aud track of the Androscoggin
Railroad are in from good to fair condition.
The bridges are in good order.
The Bath branch of the Maine Central 10
in very good condition; the track well
ballasted.
The entire road-bed and track Of the Ban
gor and Piscataquis Railroad present great
ly improved appearance. This road is i'm
proving in importance, and when the
International Railroad is connlated no DON hi