The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-05-09
AN IMPORTANT HEARING.
The HarbOr Commissioners Not Ger
tain of the Appropriation.

mission to Extend the Largest Wharf
If the Appropriation Bill Passes the
Asked For Permission VIII Be Granted.
Harbor Commissioners @. 81. Farley, S..
B. Kelsey and Henry Fox, gave hearing
yesterday afternoon at the office of Mr.
Farley on Exchange street. on the petition
of the Grand Trunk railroad for per-
mission to extend their largest wharf out
ward.
The Grand Trunk was represented by
Hon. A. A. Strout, attorney for the
road, and his partner G. A. Hight. Mr.
Strout said that they were ready to prove
notice, and Mr.. Hight took up nj lie
of papers, but the commissioners said
they had read the petition and knew that
prior notice as required by law had been
given.
Mr.. Strout said he did not deem it,,nec-
essary to bring expert testimony befor e
the commissioners to prove the necessity
for the proposed extension. The commits
sioners are themselves experts. He said
that the Grand Trunk asks for permits
~~ONA W.
covering about four acres. The Grand
Trunk believes that the Congressional
appropriation for the deepening of Port
land harbor will be made and Is therefore
ready to proceed with this important and
very expensive work. The management
proposes to make this extension in order
that 1T may be able to receive the larg-
est steamer going. AS it is now, the
matches are beyond the end of the wharf,
and 1t is troublesome matter turning
an ocean steamer. The wharf will be ex-
tended to a pointawhere the meetingsof
Fore River makes an eddy, and naturally
will make it necessary to dredge more or
less. and in order to make this harbor
available for foreign sea going commerce
this dredging must be done. He referred
to the great length of the new steamship
fall.
Commissioner Farley said the Canadian
will be $40 feet long.
Mr.. Strout said that mot only is this
true of the Canadian, but the tendency is
to build larger every year, and there are
steamships now that are fully 600 feet
long. There is steamship in contempla-
tion that will exceed the Great Eastern
in length and in carrying capacity. We
must be ready to receive these great
steamships.
Commissioner Fox-"If permission is
granted when will you begin work?'
Mr.. Strout-"At once.''
Commissioner Kelsey it be q
pile wharf,"
Mr.. Strout-"Yes, the same as the 9th
er Grand Trunk wharves.''
Commissioner Fox-"Will the entire
wharf be rebuilt?''
Mr.. Strout-"No, the wharf is all
right. but it will be necessary to make
this extension. -
Commissioner Farley said tbat,the only
thing that seemed to the board to stand
in the way was thetquestion: Will Con-
gress pass the river and harbor appropri-
alton bill? He had not much if any doubt
about the Portland appropriation, but
unless the harbor is dredged it would be
manifestly out OF the question to permit
the extension of the wharf.
MIR. Strout said that the appropriation
as far as Portland is concerned is all
right. The hearing was had before the
proper committee, and the Recommended
ton was made. The Grand. Trunk is only
ready to go on with the work because
of the belief of the management that
the appropriation will be all right.
Commissioner Farley said he had seen
a letter from Senator Frye giving assur-
anoe that the work will be carried for
ward here as recommended. Still it
seemed to him to be the plain duty of
the board to go slowly in this matter.
There might be danger of Presidential
veto of the bill.
Mr.. Strout said that there isn't the
slightest danger that President Cleveland
will do anything of the sort. The bill
must stand or it must fall as whole Of
course if there was any one appropria-
tion SO large as to be manifestly an out
rage, it would be the duty of the Presi-
dent to send the bill back for correction.
1t is true that the appropriations made
in that bill are large, but then this is a
large country, and the only question
was, "Can the United States afford to
spend the money to advance our CONNER
cial interasts?'' and that has been settled.
Mr.. Hight called attention to the ex-
pensive nature of the proposed extension,
and said that the Grand Trunk must
avail itself of the long summer days. An
other thing should be remem bered, and
that is that the Grand Trunk must be
in a position to make contracts with
steamship lines. They will not send great
steamers here ii they are to be practical
ly left out in the channel. He thought
that in any case the wharf could be safe
ly extended.
Commissioner Farley said that the
Scotsma drew % 12 feet of water, and
tho steamships to come here next fall
will need at least 80 feet. The dredging