Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-03-27

$500, 900. In my own county we went
something similar and we
Jared far differently, partly due to IN"
credit of the OriginatOrs of our rohd
and largely through our county anu oar
people we have received our money
back and we have our road. Washing
ton county cannot receive its money
back, but they have their road and !
am willing to venture the guess that II
this matter was submitted TO my
worthy friends. the representatives ana
senators from Washington county,
whether they would receive their $780,
coo and relinquish their road, or nave
it abandoned, they would not hesitate
to decide i'm favor of their road.
1t is reasonable to suppose that tile
court placed the full valuation upon
that property; and if they did, then the
present owners of the property derlV"
no benefit from the $780, 900.
Two years ago the friends Of TINS
mileage measure came before a COM
mittee of this Legislature that l have
the honor to serve upon asking to re-
duce the 1000-mile book from 2 -
cents to two cents per mile. AS the
reason given for not granting this
measure, it was said that the Maine
Central, who by the way, in order that
this may be reorganiZed, was obliged 20
guarantee the payment of the interest
in bonds of the $2,50O,OOO to operate the
road and the Washington County Rail-
road had had the benefit of the great
experience OF the Maine Central Rah-
road in its management, and the bene-
fit in the choice of buying materials Tor
hr,iI a.
ran down the road. The defense was
that the road was in such rundown
condition, as would naturally he the
case with q railroad that had not DecA
huilt up-its rolling stock was greatly
reduced and it's bridges and trestlcS
were almost dangerous and its road
beds needed Notwithstanding that they
could not at that time consent to re-
duction. But the gentlemen represent
ing the officials of that road made
statement before the committee to the
friends of this measure that as soon as
the revenue would warrant 1t, a reduc-
ton would be made as per their re-
Guest. as far as was possible with good
railroading.
Has it kept faith? AS has been stat
ed by the senator from Washington
tnev granted a reduction of onc-ha!f
cent per mile. They did more than
this. / am giving you what the COM
mittee heard and not making any argyll
ment. They found that they
could have made money or saved mon
cv by granting the two cent mileage;
and by doing this they would be cater
ing to and getting the benefits Of the
money of the ticket purchasers, Tor II
is the men who have the money who
get the benefit of the mileage book.
Instead of reducing this to two cents
they make a reduction of half a cent
on the regular tickets This contributed
something to the poor man. rms
brings this matter up to the request
I'D to this year and it is asked that TINS
one-quarter Of one per cent. be taken
from the thousand mile book; and as
2. reason for not readily granting this
they submit tabulation of compare
sons showing how utterly Impossible
it is for the railroads to haul passen-
gers in q sparSely settled community
at the same rate it will within more
congested portions. The New haven
Railroad has 81 passengers per mile.
l will drop this and use the Boston
and Maine which has 60 passengers
per train mile as against SO on the
Maine Central 40 on the Rumford
Falls, &c on the Somerset, 20 on the
B. and A., and "a on the Washington
County Railroad. Is it fair to suppose
that a train which costs practically as
much to run it can carry "a pasSen-
gers per mile as cheaply as it can car
nv GO? After making this argument in
defence, the same gentleman who
made the promise to his friends IN
Washington county and to that COM
mittee two years ago, stated, as soon
as the revenues of the road, or its
prospective revenue shall warrant.
further reduction on the tariff rate
shall be made.
Mr. STAPLES: Will the senator
permit a question? What is the mile
age rate of the B. & A. per passenger
per mile?
Mr. IRVING: Twenty-Five as
against 63 on the Boston and Maine.
Mr. STAPLES: What is the mile
age rate?
sand-mle two-cent book. 1t was con-
sidered the duty of your committee to
look into the legal phase of this case.
Two years ago they prOpounded the
question to every attorney who APP
peared before them and it was asked
of attorneys by the committee this
year. 1t has been presented to num-
erous attorneys in the lobby and we
have failed to find one who has hest
tated 10 assert that in their opinion
when n railroad issues two cent
mileage book and compels you to pay
two and one-half or three cents, it is
perpetrating an illegal transaction.
What redress have we? Surely not to
ask them To continue by endorsement
of the Legislature to violate this law.
We may say We can pass a law COM
peling this two cent fare. This we are
informed we can legally do, and then
we find ourselves confronted by the
Constitution which provided that no
qusi public corporation shall be obliged
to perform any labor for less than a
fair compensation. We seem to be at
sea again there. We can pass an act
in this Legislature for bidding the
railroad to discriminate by the issu-
ance of this book: but what have we