Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-05-08
GRAND TRUNK PRIVILEGES.
DepsE Examined BY the Senate Commit.
tee.
Large Amount OF Our Foreign Trade Car,
ned by the Canadian Roads.


Nhh iokhs NAY =.
Before the Senate Committee on interstate
commerce, Chsuncey NJ Depe~ stated thai
there were ten American cars in Canada TO
one Canadian car in the United States. II =
duty is charged on foreign car. entering the
United States il would be detrimental to
American roads, as each line uses any cars
that happen 10 be on the line. He said the
Erie road received yearly, under the poolin Z
system. s500. goo 1t was not in the nature
of buying of process" but simply their
portion of the profits made by the pool roads.
Continued-"In nv opinion the railroads
were not built with the intention of getting
differential rates. The majority of the un-
necessary roads in the country are due to
the misguided enthusiasm of the people who
reside in the vicinity"
General Manager Joseph lIixon Of the
Grand Trunk railroad was examined. He
scknowled that that the Grand Trunk road
controlled the freight between Portland
and Chicago. He said each road was under
separate management. He did not like TO
acknos sledge that the separate management
was merely matter of form. but finally
had TO. According to the statement OF
liixon the Grand Trunk road WAS allowed by
American roads to make rates for west bound
freight. If they did not have this privilege
they could not do business.
At O'Clock the committee adjourned for
an hour.
The examination of Hxon was continued
this afternoon. Senator Cnllom asked what
assistance the Canadian Pacific road received
from the government. The witness replied
that the Canadian government had done
S37 900 900 worth of construction work,
given $50 ,000, 900 in cash and 500 600. 600
worth of government lands. lie unwillingly
acknowledged that the foreign trade through
Canada from the United States was much
greater than the Canadian trade through the
United States The Canadian Parliament
annually voted money 10 various branches of
the Canadian Pacific road MS subsidies. and
lines of steamships were yearly subsidized
by the government. In 1883 the freight
which passed through Montreal from the
western part of the nited States amounted
to II ,997 tons The traffic over the Canadian
line west To Portland, Me, amounted to
90 "a tons. The witness stated that about
40 per cent. of all the business done by the
Canadian Pacific road WAS due to the United
States.
In the Northwest particularly Michigan,
all the carrying trade is done by the Canadiai.
trunk lines.
W VI Ttiioi, uTst vice prtsidtht oI tue
Erie road, next took the stand lie thought
there should be legislation to protect the
American roads against the Canadian roads
dong business in the United States as Amer
lean roads would gain by it. lie thought the
Canadian trunk lines acted according To the
interstate commerce law at first but like
everything else it grew old. lie could not
answer for them now. If the commission
wished TO enforce the law. it would have To
put the volators in jail, then perhaps all the
roads would conform with the law
Adjournment taken until tomorrow morn
ing.