The Portland daily press., 1895-06-08

tative to the legislature, said he did not
the petition was presented, who did not
sign it.
Mr.. Hale here announced that they had
no further testimony to introduce.
Judge J. W. Symonds said that he APP
peared
IN OPPOSITION TO ONE POINT
only, viz, in regard to the crossing of the
Boston & Maine at Pleasantdale. He
said that railroad wished to demonstrate
with earnestness against grade crossing
there, as being full of danger to the pub
lie. Judge Symonds said that this was a
preceding under the general law, and
the commissioners could determine what
should be permitted.
Judge Symonds said that he would not
enter into any general discussion of the
dangers of grade crossings; but it was
evident that the time had come when a
new policy should be adopted with regard
to these dangerous crossings The Legis-
lature of Maine, at its last session had
felt this, and had taken long step ahead
by putting the control of such crossings
entirely in the hands of the railroad
commissioners. The law of last winter
specifically mentions such cases as this
at Pleasantdale. This electric railroad
company proposed, by a long route over
a sparsely settled country, to reach a re-
oioD that co,,1d bo roaobod 1n1,cb aac;or
and with no crossings at grade, by going
out Danforth street. Therefore he
claimed that any crossing at Pleasantdale
should beSdenied; but if it should be per-
mitted, then the crossing should be under
the grade, which would be practicable.
At grade this crossing would be exceed
ingly dangerous. The station, houses
and trees hide the trains until they are
right upon the crossing
Mr.. Hale brought up the point that the
road S charter would not allow it to cross
Vaughan's bridge; that the ground was
wet at the Pleasantdale crossing, making
it exceedingly burdensome to require an
under grade crossing.
At this point Commissioner Peaks said
the commissioners would have to see the
location before they could understand
fully the situation. An adjournment was
therefore taken until half past two p m.
When the hearing opened in the after
noon Judge Frank w. Robinson said that
the board was present to look into the
proposed location and
NOT TO RATIFY A LOCATION
which these gentlemen had already Sc
lected and taken possession Of The COM
missioners now should see whether pub
lie need justifies what to his mind is an
ursurpation of the public easement on
these roads At a former hearing he had
been present and called attention to
what seemed peculiar proceedings by
those constructing this road. He called
attention to the fact that the legislature
had granted charter which, in the
Judgment of the legislative committee
ests represented. There was a full hear
ing, all interests being represented. That
charter carefully guards and defines the
rights of the road Its location was in
matter..of permanency limited to % years.
it was compelled to run cars in winter
as far as Willard, etc.
When these same gentlemen who had
obtained the charter came before this
board to secure the organization of a new
company, it was pointed out that they
could thereby evade some of the response
bilities imposed by the legislative charter.
Mr. Robinson said he urged then and
urges now, that having got their private
charter, they were estopped from coming
here for an organization under the gen
eral law He claimed that, having OBJ
tanned special rights Of the legislature,
they should now be remanded to those
rights.
Concerning the informalities of the ap-
plication, Mr.. Robinson said that up to
this morning they had been able to OBJ
tain no idea of what the projectors really
intended to do.
The law provided that in filing pc
tition with the railroad commissioners
they should accompany it with a good
map on proper scale.
The map now filed here, by the adj
mission of the engineer, was only a
copy of the county atlas. 1t showed no
scale, width of location, or width of
streets 1t does not Edefne courses,E dis
tances and boundaries.
The application for the route was also
indefinite. One stipulation was that
it should be by or in the Ocean House
road" Which? Grant that petition, and
where will the road be placed?
Then as to the placing of the poles.
The law required that before permit
could be issued to place the poles no.
tice of IA days should be given and pub
lie hearing held. But no such notice had
been given; no hearing had been held,
and this was absolutely the first chance
that had been allowed to the public to
make protest, by these gentlemen
who are employing their
GAME OF HOCUS POOUS,
now you see them and now you don't.
And now when the location had been
chosen and occupied, you, the railroad