The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-03-27

three miles. who are not well served by the
Portland Railroad Company
road IL Cpmnsny lines are only five cents to the
aytrama limits of its line In the
town of Deering or city Of Portland. Before
this charter for the Westbrook Street
railroad is granted as competing line with
land raiIroad and the MaineCentral railroad.
tha iegisiature should be convinced that the
naonle of Portland, Deering and Westbrook
need and demand additional railroad facili-
Your committee have had before them pc
titions from la citizens Of the city of West
brook, out of population OF some $500.
From the town of Deerlng we had before
us petitions from 43 OF It's citizens asking
charter be and to IaTGad mV from
knowledge. few, If any OF the petitioners
| live along the line of the proposed railroad,
| and know that many OF them are now we'll
served by the Portland Railroad Company.
| From the city of Portland we have had Pc
| titions from 1913 of its citizens and business
firms, asking that charter be granted to S.
i l., Lane and others for street railroad
from Portland to Westbrook.
The route proposed by TINS charter is on
/ the only main thoroughfare left to US which
| leads directly from Portland to the town of
| Deering that is not at present occupied by
| railroad; and IL this charter Is granted the
| public park In Portland will be entirely sur
rounded by either steam or ,as electric railroads
| around the park, or through this main thor
| oughfare leading to the town OF Deering
wish to refer briefly to the history of the
| Portland Railroad Company, which has and
| is doing good service for the people OF Port
territory around Portland was sparsely set
tied, and has built up the suburbs of Port
land, including Wcodford's Corner, Nor
rllPs Corner, and Deering Centre, in the
nd ffc hou
invested OF their own money, $500, 900 in the
road to make it a success to the people of
Portland and Deering. 1t has given the
very best kind Of service, and has paid but
years. 1t has extended its line to Bradley's
Corner, on the main road to Westbr0ok, and
| the improvements about to be made, for
electric plant. and for extending its line. will
amount to $4,000 this year, We have at
| the present session given the company au-
thority to increase its capital stock to $780,
600 to enable them to extend their lines.
Should not reasonable time be allowed to
this road to make further extensions, before
another road is chartered which would seri-
0usly affect the value of its stock, and the
revenues of this road?
The route selected by the Westbrook char
ter cuts across the territory that has been
built up largely by the Portland RailreadCom
pany. (rne village of Oakdale.) 1t runs by
the Portland Park Oeering Oaks, occupies
Portland street which is the only thorough
fare in the city which can be used with safe
ty for pleasure driving In the winter.
No one who Is acquainted with the terri
tory can question the fact that the new road
must surely cut into the revenues of the
Portland Railroad company.
And every Senator must admit that the
charter as reported, while 1t fixes the route
In one section, afterwards by section
route can be adopted. This would make it a
competing line to the road already built. 1t
Is an opening wedge, into the territory al
ready occupied by the Portland Railroad
Company, and would it be wise for the
Legislature to adopt a policy, which would
injure investments made in good faith. and
which would never have been made If such
contingency as this had been foreseen.
Senators. the fact that petitions can be OBJ
tanned for competing charter should not be
conclusive. Petitions can always be had.
The public do not stop to consider whether
other rights are affected. The are always
willing that additional roads may be built.
forgetting that they must pay the dividends
on both roads ultimately. Would the legis-
lature be willing to grant charters to paral-
lei the Maine Central Railroad, or still less
some weaker roads that have waited % years
for returns on their investments? Is this
the true way to encourage the investment of
capital in public improvements? If no safe
guards are to be thrown around such invest
ments, who will be willing to make them?
These electric roads are an experiment.
perhaps they have come to stay. But this Is
certain. They certainly, in our clim ate, can
not compete with steam roads in the winter
season. They introduce elements of danger
to the public passing along the highways, in
a much greater degree than is the case with
horse railroads Ii they are to be operated
few months in the summer, has been
done with the electric road between Augusta
and Gardiner, they may be made to show
large earnings, and In the present attitude of
the public towards such securities-their
novelty may make for them a market, but
charters for such railroads should not be
granted for speculative purposes. They
should be in the hands of local parties who
are identified with the growth and prosperity
of the locality which they intend to pro.
mote
Unlimited issue of bonds should not be per-
mitted, nor should stock be issued unless on
bonafde subscriptions and to the amount Of
cash actually paid in. This limitation as to
Issuance of bonds exists In the charter of the
Portland Railroad Company.
Senators, want to refer you to the report
OF the railroad commissioners, as to the Au.
gusta, Hallowell and Gardiner Electric Road;
bonds, $1,000 stock, $150,000; cost, $685.
000 Has there been any speculation In the
stock of this company?
Why is the new charter worth $4,000 to
| Its incorporators, as has been stated by its
friends to members Of your committee? Can
it be through any legitimate use that can be
made OF its charter? Does any one believe
than an electric railroad from Portland to
Saccarappa can be operated the whole year
In competition with two roads and be made
to pay? The cost Of keeping the road open
| In the winter season might absorb the earn
ings Of the rest of the year. 1t has cost the
Portland Railroad Company nearly $4,000
| to keep its tracks open during the present
winter. That Is five per cent on its capital
| of 500, 600.
But the minority in their report Ia most ex-
traordinary document, by the way, the first
| one In my experience in which the minority
nave attempted to interject stump speech
into report, and not only a stump speech.
put statements as to matters of fact that did
not appear before the committee In testi-
mony say that public convenience
and necessity require cheap and more fire.
qneDt communication between the city OF
Westbrook and the city of Portland" Do
the rates of fare and the number of trains
which have referred to disprove this state
ment, or can this be truly said of outlying
villages, which have already two indepen-
dent steam railroads connecting them with
the city OF Portland, with twelve trains
l needed?
But the minority further say that nearly
all the inhabitants of Westbrook have inti-
mate business relations with the city OF
| Portland.
This is an astounding statement when you
consider that one half of its inhabitants are
farmers, aad that about two-thirds Of the in
naDltants Oh the village of Saccarappa and
Cumberland Mills consist of mill operatives,
and have practically no business relations
with the outside world which require special
means OF transportation for its accomm0da-
tion. Certainly two steam roads would more
tnan meet their wants. What other village
OF Maine could come before the legislature
and make such demand in the face OF the
Iact tnat TWO railroads, we'll equipped ana
well managed, were already at their door.
| a.. Inc minority of the committee IlIther say
tine railroad cortland Railroad company
nave often been requested to extend tneir In Iine
70 Cumberland Mills and Saccarappa. Ihls
Is certainly news to the committee, ior no
sucn TACT was in evidence, anu secn Is not
the fact, so far as the majority OF the COM
mlttee are aware. but ~ III were, Is ~
decisive of the case? Sh lui9 new cnaIter
be granted, simply because tne whole Oh
| given territory has not been occupied by
railroad at the time the charter Is asked forP
Should the legislature not consider what has
| already been done towards meeting the pub
| lie wants, and what Is to be done In the near
| future?
| charters should be granted, which give per-
/ manent rights in the streets OF our towns
/ and cities THESE are matters which should
be left to local control Tor each town and
city which can best judge OF its own special
needs and requirements. Otner states have
| found ii necessary to appoint special commits
sions to study the question OF electric rail-
roads as bearing upon the public safety and
| cOnvenience' loo many safeguards cannot