The Portland daily press., 1901-01-23
Grand Trunk Opposed
to Extra Taxation.
Mr.. Hight Shows What His
Road Means TO Maine.
ESPECIAL TO THE PRrss.l


Augusta, January 22.-The adjourned
hearing on the question of the taxation
of railways brought large audience to
the Representatives hail this afternoon.
President Locus Tnttle OF the Boston
u Maine AMI Maine Central, General
Manager Evans of the Maine Central,
Hon. George Z. Wescott, Hon. Henry B
Cleaves, Clarence a. Hight, Esq, Leroy
l.. Hight, ksq, and others, were on
hand TO represent the interests of the rail-
roads Inc Grange was represented by
State Mater Obadiah Gardiner, Hon.
J. f. Roberts, Hon. j. NJ. Deertns and
others. Hon. A. Nj. Spear of Gardiner,
appeared as counsel for the Grange COM
mittee The hearing was announced for
= clock, but 1t was after that hour
when the committee took their places
and proceedings were begun. Hon Hem
ry b. Cleaves took the tiour as soon as
the committee was called to order. lie
said thst he was not unmindtul OF the
far reaching consequences OF the pend
ing question not only to this psopie OF
the state, but to the transportati o L com
panies. MIR. CIeaves than briefly intro
ducsd President futile. The man at the
head ef the Boston s. Maine ana Maine
Central systems, is a large man with
commanding presencs, powerful fHHe.
clean snsven, and voice whion Is eas'-
IT heard even In q largo nail MT 1ut-
tie Is anss only prominent railroad
man; he Is good speaker In beginning
his remarks he referred ID the growth
of state expenditures ard the agitation
of ten years ago, adding that the legisla-
lure with its accustomed fairness had
decided to post pone the matter for two
years ana In that time the discussion so
far as he could learn had been carried
on with fBirness, with the few eXeep-
lions of thoss who had patsnted pro-
oessss which In their opinion would set
tIs all the questions at Issue Their po-
sltion reminded MIR. Iuttls OF he hus-
band and wife who decided ID enlarge
their home and disagreed over the color
OF the paper, such discussion that it
spread through the nelghtoIhood. Final
ly it was settled. and the wife when
asked how the agreement was reached,
said that john wanted white and she
wanted blue and they finally compro
missed on blue.
Mr.. Tuttle defined the theory of tax
alton as an equitable assessment upon
the psople for the purposes of bearing
the burdens OF the stats. Up to this
point tine authorities agree, but wheD
they come to say what is an equitable
assessment, they agree only that It Is an
assessment TO be borne by this other fell
low. But l don't come here to ask
favors for the two great railroads which
1 represent lay down this proposition
that THESE two roads should pay their
fair share of the taxes Of the states
through which they run and they should
pay no more. A railroad corporation
Is nothing but an association of indi-
viduals who oontributs in varying sums
from their private means to common
fund sufficient to provide and regulate
railway service. The business Is there
fore the selling of public transportation
aud IL has no other. The inception
and growth of the railroad was simply
the answer to a hitherto untitled de-
maid for transportation.
NOW 10 you KNOW, gentleMens LhAb up
60 1880, there was no such general sys-
tenn OF TRANSFORMATION as that offered by
ths railroads In former days an ex-
cess OF farm products or manufactured
goods spoiled or were useless $50 miles
from point where there was famine
or drouth OF goodsg In 1925 it occurred
TO a society Of Friends in England that
the cost OF carrying Goals they were
mining WAS dlsproportionate to tae cost
of transportation and the idea WAS con-
ceived OF railroad to haul it. There
had previously for 10) years been tram
ways, nut nothing to correspond with
the modern railway. There MIR. George
Stephenson was called upon as engineer
and he put upon this Stockton and
Darlington railway one OF tine locomo-
tives he had designed. So successful was
it that they put on coach for carrying
passengers That was tine beginning OF