The Portland daily press., 1888-02-07
OUR IRON ROADS.
What the State Commissioners
Have to Say About Them.
Gratifying Increase In Both Passen-
ger and Freight Earnings
Indicating Prosperity Among the
Patrons of the Lines.

1 PatFOnS OF the LIn63s
/ 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, will show the complete and thor
| oughly successful manner in which the
Commissioners-Co A. w. Wildes and ID.
w. Mortland-haye performed the many and
arduous duties of their Office.
The Commissioners note with 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
comparatively free from accidents Of any
| kind.
The reports of the various railroad com
| panies in the State show a most gratifying
and, 1t is to be belived, permanent increase
| in business both in passenger and freight
| earnings notwithstanding that during the
| early part Of the season many railroads on
the seaboard were seriously affected by some
of the provisions of the Interstate Com
i merce 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, via
| ducts and culverts Of the several railroads in
| the State and found them, with few excep-
| tions, very much improved.
NEW RAILROADS
During the past year the York Harbor and
| Beach Railroad has been wholly construe-
| ted and was opened to public travel Oh the
| Sth day of August last. This railroad ex-
| tends from the Boston & Maine Railroad
depot in Kittery to York Beach, distance
| of about IL 2-10 miles.
The Penobscot and Lake Megantic Rail-
| road, now know as the International rail-
| road, is being constructed from the west
| line Of the State easterly by the southern
| side of MoOsehead Lake to connection
| with the European and North American
| railroad at Mattawamkeag The company
| hope and expect to have this road completed
and ready for trains on or before Jan. list,
| 1889.
The Somerset Railroad Company contem-
plates the extension Of their railroad from
| the present terminus at North Anson, north
ery and seasterly through said village and
the town of Embden to the village OF Bling
ham, distance of about sixteen miles, and
has. during the past season, graded a large
portion of the same. The company hope to
have said extension completed In the early
part of the coming summer.
ORGANIZATION OF RAILROAD CORPORA
TIONS.
Notwithstanding the multiplicity Of rail-
road charters granted by the Legislature
during the last session, three railroad cor
| porations have been organized under the
| general law, viz: Harmony & Wellington
Railroad; company; Rcmford Falls, Andover
| & Rangeley Lake Railroad Company; Bos
| ton Il Quebec Air Line Railroad Company.
LAWS RELATING TO RAILROADS.
The Railroad Commissioners respectfully
suggest for the consideration of our future
lawmakers, whether it would not be well at
the next session of the legislature, by COM
mittee, to review, revise and compile all the
statute laws relating to railroads and rail-
road companies under one chapter, so that
the same can be readily found, and, il re-
quired, could be easily published in pamph-
let form.
COMPENSATION OF RAILwAYlcoNDussIoN
ERs.
The Commissioners call attention to the
defects in the present method Of collecting
their compensation, which, by the legisla-
ture Of 1879, was fixed at five dollars a day,
| to be paid (not 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 the same. The judicial pow
ers and duties conferred upon the board by
| the general railroad law and by subsequent
| enactments, 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 100000
| 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 lit
tie, if any, other business.
In Massachusetts, where by istatute, the
duties TO be performed are no greater, the
salary paid to the commissioners is as fol-
lows: To the chairman OF the board, "a, 900;
to the other twO $500 each, with clerk at
a salary of $1,000. They are also furnished
good Office rooms and sum Of money, not
exceeding five hundred dollars yearly, for
books, stationery and other incidental ex-
penses True, all these salaries and expenses
are assessed upon the several railroads 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 better than the one
now fixed by statute. There are at the pres
ent time 11S2.22
MILES OF RAILROAD
in the State. The commissioners notice each
road in the State as to condition and improve
ments.
They are happy to report continued i'm
provement Of the Aroostook River Railroad.
During the past season about 450 tons of
steel rails have been laid. making the entire
line in Maine steel, and $4,000 ties. The
road bed has been thoroughly ballasted and
ditched. At Caribou and Presque Isle new
passenger stations and freight houses have
been built and extensive improvements made.
On the New Brunswick road eleven and five
one-hundredths miles of new sidings have
been laid out and COG, 900 yards of ballast put
upon the road bed. Thirty-elght bridges, six
of steel, in all about 10000 feet in length,
have been built and 40 bridges have received
needed repairs. Large additions have been
made to tine equipment.
The condition of the Atlantic Il St. Law
renee railroad is second TO no other road in
the State. Twelve and one-half miles of
new ssteel rails have been laid, and $4,000
expended on an ocean steamers wharf In
Portland. A new overhead bridge has been
built between So. Paris and Oxford.
The roadbed and track Of the Androseog-
gin railroad are in from fair to good c0ndt-
ton. The bridges are in good order.
The Bath branch of the Maine Central Is
in very good condition; the track well bal
lasted.
The entire roadbed and track of the Ban
gor 81 Piscataquis railroad present a greatly
improved appearance. This road Is lmprOY-
ing in Importance, and when the Interna-
tl0nal railroad Is cOmpieteu, no uOuDI
marked increase of trafice and values will
follow.
The roadbed Of the Bangor q Katahdin
Iron Works railway Is generally in good con-
dtion, and the track fair, but some new rails
should be laid the coming season. The
bridges are in fair conditional safe for
the present. The Commissioners believe
there is prospect Of fair business for the
road.
The roadbed and track of the Belfast &
Moosehead Lake railroad are in fair condi-
tion and somewhat improved The abut-
ments at Livermore Brook have been re-
built.
The Boston & Maine Railroad is main
tanned in the same very good condition mem
toned last year. The bridges are in excel
lent condition. An iron bridge is to sup
plant the lattice bridge at Salmon Falls.
Five miles of new steel rails have been laid.
The rolling stock is constantly increasing,
and no effort is spared by the management to
secure the safety of trains and comfort and
convenience of passengers.
The Bridgt0n & SacO River Railroad is in
very good condition. THE track Is well sur
face and aligned. There are several trestle
and pile bridges which might be removed
and stone culyets and earth embankments
substituted. The road is we'll managed, and
no accidents 10 trains have occurred.
Some new rails and ties are needed the
coming season nv the Newport u Dexter