Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-03-15
MAINE LEGISLATURE.
Continued from page 81

other franchise is the right to levy tolls.
There is limit to that, IL expires IN
November, 1896, unless renewed by THIS
Legislature. Another franchise IS the
right to acquire, hold and to own real and
personal property. There is no provision
In this charter which calls for the rever'
sion at fixed time to the State. mat
charter gave to this company the right to
purchase and hold real estate by as COM
plete title as you get when by deed you
purchase your home and the land on which
stands. They built this bridge, issued
their stock, and 1t was subscribed for. 1t
Is admitted that neither Bangor nor
Brewer complains of the management Of
this bridge by this company. We know
that this Bridge Company since its in
corporation 81 years ago, has performed
every obligation resting upon it by law
and met every condition set forth in
its charter, honorably, fairly and
justly to the two cities. Ordinarily, toll
bridges have managed to have net in
come of from 8 to ~ per cent. This
Bridge Company for the SO years since it
has been in existence has had gross in
come of and 2-10 per cent When you
take from that the tax assessed by Ban
gor and Brewer of 21S per cent, it leaves
per cent of income that this company
has enjoyed as It's profit from the opera
ton of the bridge. Is 6 per cent. an
arbitrary or unusual Oh a large dividend
of profit, considering the risk and hazards
Instead of acting in an arbitrary, exact
ing, overbearing way, as they had a right
to do in exacting tolls for foot and team
travel under their charter, we find them,
90 years ago, opening this toll bridge free
to all foot passengers, and they cut down
the rates that teams were paying, and
they had special contracts with business
aud manufacturing concerns. In % years
the concessions amounted to $3.50, 600.
Here is one corporation in the State of
Maine that has actually got a soul All
they asked for was reasonable dividend,
per cent, and when they found the tolls
were accommodating SO it would pay them
more than that, they generously conceded
it all to the cities of Brewer and Bangor.
We find first, the right of this corpora
ton 60 be a corporation. We find de-
terIilinable franchise to take tolls that ex
pires in November, 1896. We find under
meath all this the complete title and fee to
the land and to the bridge property which
they put their money into to build across
that river The mayor of Bangor, before
this session began, before the election this
last fall, claimed in the Bangor News that
the bridge belonged to the State and that
the present proprietors are simply its
custodians 1t didn't make any difference
that this company had put $4,000 into
this bridge. They would have no rights
in November, 1896. And they held to that
position until they were driven from it by
the unanswerable arguments of the
friends of the bill. The petitioners simply
ask you to protect by Legislative enact
ment their equitable rights there. The
people of Bangor Stand behind this
Bridge Company. The opponents of this
bill hope to delay action on it until the
right to take tolls shall cease and this
company will have to close up its bridge
and it's property will have decreased in
value, and then they hope that this Bridge
Company will sell to the cities at a fair
appraisal. They hope to force the sale of
this property upon the two cities. The
bill before us is a just one 1t has been
agreed to by the mayor of Bangor and by
the friends of the bill. 1t has passed the
judiciary committee and the Senate.
Mr. Comins of Eddington said: We
have paid our tolls freely and willingly
but we think we have paid tolls there
long enough and it is time we had free
bridge. live on the east side of the river
and the farmers in our town are obliged
to go to Bangor to market and it costs
them about $40 year for tolls This
Bridge Company have had under this
charter all that they asked for, and why
should they come here and ask for any
further legislation? 1t seems to me that
we should have free bridge. appeal to
this House to indefinitely postpone this
bill so we can have free bridge at some
time in the future. By this bill it will | Q
a toll bridge for an indefinite period OF
time. hope the bill will be indefini ely
postponed.
Mr. Hooper of Castine said he had come
to the conclusion that the Bridge Com
pany did own some property in Bangor.
would like to ask the gentleman from
if he holds my note for so or
as years and pay him interest, at the end
of that time is that note any good-have
l got to give it up?
MIR. Comins of Eddington: 1t would
change the condition of things little of
you came to the Legislature and asked
them to legislate an additional value into
that note for that number of years Why
does the Bridge Company ask for addi
tional legislation at the present time? 4
Mr.. Hooper: To protect themselves.
This bill is reported by the committee and
sustained by some of the best legal talent
in the State and think it should pass.
Mr.. Fairbanks Of Bangor said that he
regretted that he was necessarily obliged
to take any part in this discussion. The
friends largely that are interested in the
Bangor Bridge Company are my friends.
No man has attempted to bring forth the
idea that the Bangor citizens would at
tempt to take the bridge without paying
for it if they could The objection have
to this bill is its perpetual charter. Right
here let me say that do not believe that
Bangor has any more idea of buy
ing that bridge than l have of
going to China and defending her
against the inroads of the Japs If
Bangor does not sec fit to buy this
bridge then this charter will go on per-
l want to ask this House If
they are going to vote for bill that is
going to give to the people of Eastern
Maine n perpetual charter That is the