The Portland daily press., 1899-02-24
MILEAGE BILL HEARING
CONCLUDED.
MasteriuI Presentation Of Petitioners
Side.
JUDGES ELOQUENCE CARRIED
CROWD BY STORM.

CROWD BY STORM.
Attorneys for the Rosds Make Their
AFFORD IT. the General Plea of ALL
Judge Foster Attacks the Free Pass
and RaiIrosd Lobby at Augusta.
uPEcIAL TO THE rREss.i
Augusta, February 23.-There has been
only one topic Of conversation here to-
day and that is the hearing on the rail-
way mileage bill. The committee re-
su med the hear Ing at half past ono. but
Notwithstanding that early hour every
seat In the hall WAS occupied when the
committee took their places and many
were obliged to stand. The eminent
counsel of the railroad companies were
in the seats they occupied yesterday
while Judge Foster sat opposite. In the
discussion in the lobbies which preced-
ed the rsopening Of the case. the chief
topic was the manner In which Judge
Foster conducted his cross-examination
yesterday. The opponents of the bill said
| the judges methods were not dignifled
and were not in keeping with the gravity
of the case. On the other hand, Judge
Fosters questions and comments certain
ly made the hearing about as lively as
any that has occurred here for a long
time.
In the report of the hearing In this
mornings PRESS. u typographical error
made 1t appear that Mr.. Webb's figures,
which were found TO be in error. showed
an increase of passenger revenue in 1898
| of 81, 200. 1t should have read $}67, 600.
As printed out this morning. tins ststis-
tics should have shown instead Of an in
crease OF 1867 900. loss OF $1,000.
Proceedings opened today with an ad-
dressiby Hugh Chaplin, ESQ.,. OF Bangor,
who opened the case for the Bangor g.
Aroostook company, MIR. Chaplin declared
| that the road he represented was opposed
to the legislation asked for, both as an
abstract and concrete propo sition.
Sill it was not altogether sorry that the
question had been raised here, for 1t
welcomed an opportunity to come before
the highest tribunal in Maine and give
an account of It's stewardship. Nj.
| Chaplin referred to the decision of the
| United States Supreme Court declaring
that the provision Of the constitution to
prevent the taking Of the property of an
individual also applied to the property
of corporation. That was law which
applied to this case, but he would ask the
committee to forget It. He would present
the case on other grounds. 1he story
OF the building Of the Bangor & Aroos-
took road was told by Mr.. Chaplin who
in an interesting manner described the
situation In Aroostook when the coun-
ty Included only few miles Of Cana.
dian railroad. This he contrasted with
the situation of today, when the Aroos-
| took road gives connection with the rest
of tie state and the markets hey ond.
The Bangor & Aroostook has to meet
sharp competition In order to find a
market for the products of Aroostook. 1t
is not the competition of the Maine
roads. 1t is the competition of the mar
kets Of New York, Ohio and other states
and the Dominion of Canada. Take the
Canadian roads supported by the govern
msnt which make up their deficits II
they carry freight at u loss they are re
Iimbursed Who makes good the losses OF
the Bangor 81 AroostookY 1t is asked to
come here and meet proposition look
| ing to two cent mileage. What you dc
to help the Bangor and Aroostook helps
the county" said MIR. Chaplin. 'Whai
you do to injure the road hurts the coun
IT, The road must always te largely bF
20 freight carrying road. Its passenger
business has always been done at loss
Why then Is 1t maintaineds Because Il
is necessary to induce business men te
20 to Aroostook to become customers fol
tho products of tho county. Time Ii
money to the business man. After hi
has once been hauled into Aroostool
county on rickerty car over rickerty
road, he will never 60 again. what's tht
matter of n cent a mile to him II he get
good service. He isn't here complaining
The general manager of the bangor ant
Aroostook, who has risen from train
boy to his present position, says that tht
present train service is absolutely neces
sary to the upbuilding of the industries
and business of the county. What maj
in this legislature will say that thi
train service should be reduced In oppo
sition to the wishes Of the general mana
ger. In 1898, ths average rate per mil
for passenger fare on the Bangor ant
Aroostook was 3 $40 cents. Had thtssbil