Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-02-28
MILEAGE Rates
Are Discussed by the
Railroad Committee,
3. & 4. and General Bills Meet
Strong Opposition.
Committee on Education Reports.
Johnson Ballot Law.

all railroads in the State.
The act to make valid the organiza-
ton of the Wiscasset, Waterville &
Pennington Railway Co. and to ex-
tend its charter was explained by Hon.
Leslie c. Cornish of Augusta No oppo-
sition appeared.
An Act relating to the locations of
street railways, which provides that
railroad promoters can appeal from de-
cisions of municipal officers in regard
to locations. direct to the board of rail-
road commissioners; providing for COM
pulSOry public hearings before locations
can be granted and providing that in
the notice of the public meeting, a copy
of the written application to the mu-
nicipal officers for location shall be in
corpOrated.
The subject was placed before the
committee by Hon. Herbert NJ. Heath
Of Augusta, author of the bill.
An act to regulate and establish
mileage rates for the conveyance Of
passengers over the steam railroads
within the State, which is general
2-cent transferable mileage act, was the
next subject to be taken up.
Rep. WalGron of Dexter, the author,
was called upon to explain the bill. He
said that it was simply and solely to
establish a 2-cent transferable mileage
for all the railroads and regulate the
denominations of the books so that
they can be bought in small amounts.
He said that it was not unfair to the
railroads and would be a great con-
yenience to the people. 1T is q TACT
that the people are demanding this bill,
he said, land if you don't pass n bill
SO that the people can ride at this rea-
sonable rate, somebody will be sent
here who will pass it. You will find 1t
a great deal bigger issue in the next
campaign than it was in the last
Rep. Decker of Weld took up the
conditions on the Portland Il Rumford
Falls & Bangeley Lakes Railroads.
where the mileage is two cents from
Lewiston to Rumford Falls and three
cents beyond. This he thought was a
hardship for the patrons Of the rail-
roads and one that should be remedied.
He also believed that the books should
he sold in small denominations 50 that
poor people would not be subject to the
schemes of the ticket brokers when
they wanted to travel occasionally
George D. Bisbee said that he be-
licvc1 in low fares, but he didn't be-
Haye that roads in the sparsely settled
nortions of the State could carry pas
sengers as cheaply as can the roads in
more thIckly settled communities.
Mr.. Waldron asked the speaker il he
placed any significance on the fact that
the railroads reduced their fares just
before the Legislature meets. He didn't
=. +. Timberlake of Phillips argued
that inasmuch as many of the railroads
had been in the hands of a receiver
the roads certainly could not reduce
their income.
II. p. Gardner of Patten asked Hon.
Seth NJ. Carter whether he considered
the rights of the people, who have mon
ey invested of greater Importance than
the rights of the public who pays the
bills. He replied that he considered that
| the rights of the public paramount.
The hearing on the act to establish n
transferable 2-cent mileage on the
Washington County r. Il. was contin-
Ued one week.
The similar act relating to the Ban
gor e AroostOOk r. r. was the next
to be considered. Rep. Carl f. Milliken
said that as regards the 2-cent mileage
it simply made it good to bearer. He
said that he presented the bill as an
expression of the feeling of the greater
part of the people of AroostOOk county,
and that he didn't believe that there
was any different feeling in the other
| counties in which the railroad runs
AT present." he said, "the hardship
| falls on those who are least able to
bear il and further the man who can
put in 500 into mileage must buy others
| in order that his children may ride at
mileage rates"
Hugh Chaplin, representing the PAN
| gor & Aroostook Railroad, spoke in OPP
position.
In reviewing the situation before the
r. & O. was built the speaker said:
| Northern Maine, as we call it, was
then the richest undeveloped territory
of its size so near the Atlantic ocean.
| richest in soil, richest in forest prod
| ucts, richest in water powers. richest
| in water and fairly screaming to be de-
velOped.
"And strangest of all there was but
40 miles of railroad in that great coun-
| try and that was owned by CANADIAN
corporation. There was crying need
that n railroad be built up into that
county.
"In 1891 the Bangor & Aroostook
Railroad was formed with Albert A.
Rurleigh and Franklin w. Cram as its
principal officers. People said that they
admired our courage, but not our judg-
| ment.
eve came before the Legislature and
showed them that if we didn't build the
| railroad they wouldn't get any taxes
If we did build it we would develop
the property so as to greatly enhance
it's taxable value. They agreed to that.
Then we asked them to return for pc
| Rod a part of our taxes and they
| passed it without an objection. There
| was no party politics in it and they
| passed that order of which we nave
heard so much"
MIR. Chaplin then stated that the pres
ident Of the road believed that the open
| mileage would not be of advantage to
| Northern Maine.
II was pointed out that the passen-
| had failad n SllnnOrt IT.