Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-04-06
PORTLAND'S RAILROADS.
Canadian Opposition If Successful May
lnjure Her Business.

Portland Me, April 5.-The business
community and all who have the well
fare of Portland at heart are earnestly
watching developments at Ottawa
where the Canadian Parliament is at
present in session, and where hostility
to this city as an outlet for Canadian
traffic has been manifested on several
occasions.
The occasion for the renewal of the
campaign against Portland is the en-
deavor now being made By the Grand
Trunk interests to secure authority for
a complete transcontinental system in
Canada. much of the roads old system
to be utilized in the construction of the
new line. The Grand Trunk corpora
ton, which has its headquarters in
Great Britain. has asked authority of
the Canadian government to issue
guaranteed stock up to $4S, 100000, and
it is commonly understood that the
road is DESTROYS of participating in the
system of subsidies which has long
been in vogue in the construction of
railroads in Canada.
Since the announcement of the pres
ent Grand Trunk project, a hostility to
that road has developed in some quar-
tiers across the line, due to the fact that
the company, which handles an i'm
mense Canadian business, has its ter
minai on the Atlantic seaboard in this
city. In the past few years the Grand
Trunk has made great improvements
in this city, and has completed plans
for new elevator and wharfage facili-
ties, q new station and other additions.
Owing to this, citizens of Portland re-
fuse to believe that the Grand Trunk
will abandon Portland.
At the Parliamentary committee
hearing on the Grand Trunks applica-
ton for an issue of $50, 100000 stock, the
nails, Hon. A. G.. Blair, a member of the
cabinet, asked how much money was to
be spent, adding that he was opposed
to its being spent on those portions of
the road which are in the United
States Although the Grand Trunk op-
crates lines in the Western states, it is
we'll known that Mr.. Blair had refer
ance to the line in New England.
Another representative from the At
lantic provinces of Canada who ex-
pressed his opinion at the hearing was
Mr.. Gouriey, member of Parliament
for Colchester county, N. S. Mr.. Gour-
ley is quoted as saying that he thought
1.-The time had arrived to refuse the |
Grand Trunk railway any favors in
Parliament until such time as the COM
pany tore up it's terminals at Portland, |
Me-"
1t is not doubted that there is large
Trunks having it's terminus here, but |
little attention has been paid to it until |
the new plan for d transcontinentaL
line was set on foot. 1t may be neces- |
sary for the British road to sacrifice |
Portland or abandon hope Of govern
ment support.
William Wainwright. one of the high |
officials of the Grand Trunk in reply
ing to the charges at Fridays hear
ing at Ottawa, said: There has been
a great deal of misunderstanding about |
the Portland traffic of the Grand
Trunk. In making the Maine port our
terminal we divert freight that would
go from Buffalo to Philadelphia, New
York and Boston. We haul it through
Canada. 1t is traffic that is stolen
from American railroads"
Mr.. Wainwright promised that
statement would be prepared later
showing where the money to be raised
from the proposed issue of stock would
be spent.