The Portland daily press., 1889-01-31
RAILROAD REGULATION.
How the Railroad Commissioners
Must Wait for the New Capitol.


AUGUSTA, Jan. Ex-senator Haines of
Waterville, appeared before the railroad
committee this evening to explain and advo-
cate his bill to regulate the relations Of the
people and the railroads in this Stats. The
main object of his bill. he said, was to ele-
vate the railroad commission to the dignity
of court, to which the people Of the State
may have recourse when they consider them
selves unjustly used by high rates, discrimi-
nations, etc. Mr.. Haines argued at length
the constitutionality of the bill, explained
its provisions and showed four petitions re-
ceivei from hundreds of people in Kennebec
and other counties that there was a popular
demand for q measure of this sort. Mr..
Haines thought the Maine Central and Bos-
ton & Maine held this State in a powerful
fBsp Business that men should he be Said l00SeRsS
oppressed by unjust favoritisms and discrim-
nations but did not dare to complain pub
licly because they feared that the railroads
would crush them. Mr.. Haines further dis
cussed the high rates of fare charged on the
Maine Central, condemning unsparingly that
road for war time prices for fares.
Hon. j. III. Drummoqd, replied. He said
the fundamental idea that came out of what
the gentleman said was that the railroads
were a curse. blot out the railroads" said
Mr.. Drummond, "and see where Maine
built mp Maine in the last twenty years."
Mr.. Drummond said the Maine Central now
paid dividends because it had built up man
ufactories in places like Lewiston and Wat
erville by giving low freight rates for time
until the industries could get on their feet
But this could not be done under Mr.. Haines'
bill. Speaking Of the branch roads. which
Mr.. Haines had said the Maine
Central had gob0led up, Mr.. Drum
mond said many of those branches did moi
az Ala -.
give them up there would be an awful whine
from the very men now complaining. About
Mr.. Haine's proposition to fix passenger
rates at three cents a mile, MIR. Drummond
said that that might be practicable in more
thiekly settled States, but not in Maine. AS
to the charge that business men were op-
posed, Mr.. Drummond said 1t was little
strange that the business men did not make
some complaint. Mr.. Drummond c0ncurred
with Mr.. Haines that the railroad commits
sioners ought to be paid q salary, but ht
thought they must have quarters first for the
commissioners.
Mr.. Clark Of Bangor-'We are going tC
have State House."
Mr. Drummond-"Tha is the question
which must be settled before we can dC
much for the railroad commissioners.
Continuing about the alleged discrimina
| tions among shippers Mr.. Drummond sale
the officers Of the road denied it and he die
| not believe 1t existed. He did not believe
either that the free pass system would b,
| abused.
Hon. A. A. Stront, representing the Crane
| Trunk, followed. He said the bill woulC
revolutionize the whole railroad policy O.
the State and work great injury to the in
| terests Of the State. Mr.. Strout spoke a
| length of the unfavorabe effect of the bill
would have on the Grand Trunk. He ais
| showed the charter Of the old Atlantic an(
st. Lawrence contained an agreement as Il
| fares which this bill would violate. Mr.
| Strout also showed the reasonableness of tn
| rates of the Grand Trunk.
Hon. George p Wescott also appeared Il
| protest in behalf Of the Portland and Roch
| ester and Northern Maine railroad.