The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-11-03
gany Witnesses Tell Of Public
Needs.
Boston & Maine Raises
Technical Point.
An All Day Hearing at Old
Orchard.

The hall at Old Orchard was crowded
TO the doors yesterday with Urge audi
ence, all Interested in the battle royal
to ses whether the Portland 81
Cape EIizsbstn ro,d's electric lines shall
be allowed to extend to Saco, and to Old
Orchard by a branch line from Dunstan's
corner to Old Orchard via. the Pine Point
and Grand Beach regions.
The case fer the electric line was opened
BY Hon. Charles II. LIBBY, of Portland.
who outlined briefly the nature Of the
rights which were asked Of the State
through the ra Tread commissioners.
Mr. Libby said that on the one side
they ba large ST IN interests represented
by the Boston Il Maine railroad, wbi,h
had grown up under a condition which
did net contemplate this competition.
They had large inve slime nts which should
be cor sidered. But there WAS the other
great questions OF tina public need. The
electric raj roads had grown up to meet
q demand which the steam railroads did
not meet. The widely extending lines
of the former roads showed that they met
a demand which the steam roads could
not meet.
Now tho electric road had asked an ex
and branch road from Dunssans via
the region OF Fine Point and Grand
Beach to Old Orchard.
1t might be that the public necessity
demanded tne approval Of Q part of this
line and not the hole.
From his point Of view it was too late
IN the day to answer an application tor
an electric line by saying that there was
already seam line. The street line
gave a service that the stea IN lines could
not. In Massachusetts,. the home state
Of the Boston ~ III lins rAIlrosi, su,h an
arugment was not for O moment admitted
rs valid. Th strset railroad took psopie
from their own doors and arried them to
their places or business The steam
roads could not do this. The suburban
traffic had grown in spite Of direct com.
petition Of the steam linss. The reason
of this was that this trolley car could be
run at a comparatively slight expense.
There was also growing desirs OF the
smaller places to get In direct communi'
cition with the larger. Large populations
had facli les, stores, theatres, etc, In
which the smaller places desired to par
tisipate. The electric road met these de-
sirts of the smaller places half hour
trolley service from Old Orchard TO Port
land would be far better than anything
that the steam railroad could do. The
trolley could never carry freight; but for
the busiDess Of carrying residents and
summer visitors from plaos to place in
pleasant cars, through delightful scenery,
the trolley line only would serve.
The Boston g. Maine railroad was the
only egeroy opposing here this develop
ment demanded by modern life. All tbs
people along tho proposed route favored
the road. Only the Boston & Maine OPP
PCS d.
Hero Judge Symonds said this was
hardly the fact, as certain residents OF
Grand Beach were opposed
MIR. Libby said that he had based what
he SSH ON the appearances so far made.
No one haa appeared as representing the
Grand Beach people, and he thought he
vas entitled to assume that the record
indicat I'd the condition OF affairs.
Ex-Governor Clsaves said that they
might appear IS witnesses even though
not OF formal record.
Mr.. Libby then went on to discuss the
extent to which vested private interests
should be allowed to stand In the way of
a public necessity. Never, 10 the long
run, could such interests sustain sue
cessful opp sition, The electric roads
were prosperous audi successful every
where. No one was wise enough to tell
the relative development Of the electric
and steam roads twenty years hence.
But 1t was safe to say that each would
have It's own sphere, and no single interest,
no matter how large its vs,tment. could
stand In the way u the Development Of
what the large public interest demanded.
Mr.. Fred ]. Ilsley, of Portland,of the
firm of Iisley & Cummings, was called TO
testify as to the number Of HOUSES that
would be served by the proposed line.
From the South Portland terminus to
the Scarboro line there were IS houses
from the Scarboro line to Dnnstan 81
from Dunstan to the Saco line &c; from
the Saco line to the Saoo terminus 33.
The line of the road, Mr.. Ilsley said, was
20 located as to do no harm TO the high
way facilities for public travel.
At this point some question arass as o
the connection of the real with Portla nd