Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1907-02-27
BOARD OF TRADE PROTESTS
Against Granting Certain Powers to
Electric Road.

Against Granting Certain Powers to
Electric Road.
About fifty members OF the Ellsworth
board Of trade responded to the call for {
special meeting at Manning hail last Mon
day evening. President }. o. Whitney
presided, and o. w. Tapley recorded.
The object Of the meeting was to got
action on c DILL presented to the legisla-
ture last week by Senator Deasy asking
for the granting OF additional powers to
the Mt. Desert Transit Co. for the right
to use steam or any other motive power,
and for the right to sell to any railroad
company operating in Maine.
This bill Immediately suggested to the
committee on railroads, transportation and
commerce of the board that if granted it
would seriously menace the advantages
hoped for by the building Of an electric
road from Ellsworth to Bar Harbor. The
committee, therefore, asked for the special
meeting, and the chairman, E. E. Brady,
presented the matter, and offered the fol-
lowing resolutions:
Resolved, That the Ellsworth board OF
trade opposes before the committee on rail-
roads and expresses of the legislature Of the
State Of Maine bill No. 100, it being bill to
grant additional rights to the Mount Desert
Transit Co., giving said company power to
use steam, ETC., and right to sell to any COM
pany using steam it's rights and franchises.
1t is the sense of this board of trade that
the granting of these additional rights means
the merging of the contemplated electric
road and the Maine Central railroad. We be-
lieve such q merging would be contrary to the
policy of the State, and against the interests
Of the people of Hancock county, and espec-
tally do we believe it is opposed to the inter-
ests of the citizens Of Ellsworth.
And whereas, certain citizens Of Hancock
county gave notice of their intentions to
apply to the present legislature for a charter
to build an electric road from Ellsworth to
Mount Desert Island by way of Union river
bay, thereby giving Ellsworth deep-water
outlet, and after being assured that the Mount
Desert Transit Co., if granted its charter,
would give Ellsworth said connection with
Union river bay by electric road, withheld
Mount Desert Transit Co., now we believe the
granting of bill No. 100 would defeat the
spirit of said understanding. Therefore,
Resolved That this board of trade send a
delegation to the legislature to oppose the
granting of said bill No. 100. Also that the
secretary be instructed to mail copy of
these resolves to the committee before which
said bill is now pending, and ask that we be
given an opportunity to be heard upon said
bill.
B. T. Sowle addressed the board, point
ing out how, in his Judgment, tLis bill il
passed might injuriously affect this city,
and in fact most of the eastern section OF
Hancock county.
A. w. King said he had been ad-
vised by telephone that the hearing
on the bill, which was set for to-day,
would be postponed, and he thought that,
in view of the storm of opposition to it,
it might be Withdrawn.
The resolutions were unanimously
adopted. The president appointed the fol-
lowing committee to go to Augusta to at
tend hearing, should one be held: A. w.
King, E. E. Brady, B. T. Sowle, C. H. Cur
tbs, o. w. Tap'ey, Joseph M. Higgins.
On the same evening a mass meeting,
called by the Bar Harbor board of trade,
was hold in Bar Harbor, at which several
hundred people were present. Resolu-
tions, similar to those adopted here, were
unanimously adopted.