Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-02-24


management as to the figures of tn.
commissioner report. What do 70,
say to that? The dates show thai
those petitions came In here and that
1I032 names We're on before ever HI
was interviewed by the newspaper
correspondent, 80 they were not very
much Influenced, were they, II 600 out
of $4,000? These are facts, gentlemen.
Now we say in answer to this propo-
sition that IL this fare In put at Der
cent a mile. even IL 1t does In some
way reduce the fare. that 1t is going IL
to be for the interest of the railroad I,
Is not for us to set that proposition up
but / am ready to argue it right here
] say and believe 1t upon authority
that II the fare was put for every man
| in the State so that he could get It al
two cents a mile, the income of tn
| railroad would be increased, and say
II you take the railroad commissioner
report, from 1891 to 1898. you VIII find
| 1t to be true. this proposition which /
state. Why Is 1t that when there is al
excursion from Bangor to Boston o.
Portland people are crowding the cars
to ride upon that excursion, becaus
/
| can go little cheaper than they can
on the ordinary fares.
Does it cost any more to run that
train with full carload of people than
an empty train? BY no means and
therefore you viii find it is the experi :
ence OF every man of common senc.
that when fares are reduced, the peo-
pie go oftener, they go when they
would not go if they We're not cheap.
heard an eminent gentleman. who does
not belong to the opposition tonight
say when 1 was at the house, and he
came from Washington county, and by
the way. ! want to say right here that
Washington county has afforded as
large proportion according to its size
as any county in the State, Washing
ton county. through which this young
railroad has just been put, do not
think that we are without supporters
in that county. and that we are with
out supporters in favor of what we de-
mand here.
This. gentlemen, the legal gentleman
said. that if he could have a mileage
good to himself and his three children,
he would take an excursion to Calais
ENtts HtOHtH, NHcItdS tOudy tiicy OO
not go once a year. In his judgment
good for anything? 1t is just as good
as mine, and it is just as good as
yours. gentlemen. II is matter of
judgment, it is common sense, gentle
ment. 1t is a common experience of
mankind.
l am not basing what l say on any
thing out side of common experience.
Now these railroads, we say, have
not answered the demands of the peo-
pie in this State. Laying aside the
question of the Maine Central Railroad,
and / state ii from the figures taken
from the railroad commissioners re-
port. that there are $4,000, 900 of perma-
nent property invested in the several
railroads of the State of Maine. How
much do these $40,000.000 pay in pro-
portion to the other taxable property
in this State? The widow, if she has
her mite ia the savings bank. has to
contribute her proportion to the sup
port OF government.
The man with a family, no matter
how poor he is. has to contribute his
share to the support of the govern
ment. The man with his millions has
~ W. tiiC 9eAiiiS. oithOuSn At dOtS liDl
get taxed in proportion to the poor
man. and how is. l say. gentlemen.
when we come 10 this question of
money that is invested in railroads in
this State. do you believe, / appeal to
you as men of common sense, l do not
care whether you own the railroad
bonds of the Maine Central or not. do
you if you We're put upon your oath
and regarded it, would you say that the
railroads stocks of this State pay their
due proportion of the taxes in accord
ance with what the widow and the
working man and the farmer pays?
put the question to YOU. 1t is fair
question and l ask you to answer it.
You know they do not; l know they do
not. They ask you if the Legislature
by its action will manage the railroads
of this State
This hearing. thank heavens! developed
one fact, and the people of this State are
going to know it.. | am willing they
should know it. on what | say here. and
not only on what ! say here, but on what
the president of the railroad says. that
they do issue gratuities, that they issue
their free passes within this State. They
cannot issue them beyond the State az
it would be in conflict with the interstate
commerce law, but Lev have issued them
10 such an extent that when he is asked
here in this general court what the in
come of that railroad is, he refuses to
give us the number of free passes, which
if they were not issued might have de-
rived big revenue, SO that we might
perhaps have got the little pttance that
we ask for.
] think 1t Is very proper, If i should find
my neighbor that was owing me 500 Civ
ing away his property, | should want to
summon him in and ask him what he
was doing it for. If he was doing it to
get rid OF my debt. | should not think 1t
was a very honest gratuity. | have done
the best | could to find out. but my con-
stituents, my 5000 voters of the State of
Maine. with twice that number behind
them. must take for granted what | say,
that I am unable to find out the reason
of these free passes on the railroads in
this State. yN
Now they say that if this is granted, 1t
is going to promote scalpers, that is to
say, 1t would promote the existence of
set of men who will exist here and there
and everywhere, who will buy up these
mileage tickets and sell them to the man
or woman that did not want to pay 500
that he could make them pay 21s cents
mile. and that under the present system
ii does not exist Now look here. hold
in my hand Lewiston Journal of the sd
of February, and in it l read this adver-
tisement:
mileage books, cut rate railroad tick
cts, at Pierce's Jewelry Store"
hold in my hand this ticket which is
public property, and it reads: