Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-03-25
STATE HOUSE.
Ferguson Bros. Complain
Of Maine Central Rates,
Ask Railroad Commissioners to
Make Them Equitable.
The Location Of Schoodic Cutoff
Is Approved.

PIX Gays IN the week and the holiday
was most welcome to everyone. II was
proposed earlier in the winter to com
i'hte the business March %, but there
was Such an unprecedented rush of
business and so much attention was
given 10 one or two questions that this
was acknowledged last week TO he i'm
possible.
Wednesday m I Thursday the House
began to make assignments for the
coming week and all hope Of CONFLICT
lh% the work on Saturday was lost.
VAN the new lease Of life will come
more discussion Of some Of the ques-
tons and it is likely that the entire
week viii be consumed.
II was announced at the office of the
railroad commissioners Saturday that
hearing would be held April .. on the
petition brought by James Edwards.
Charles ID. 'Hasty. \. =. Ferguson and
:. s. Ferguson Of Lewiston. dealers
IN horses. complaining that the Maine
Central X. K. COS. tolls for the trans
portatirn If horses are excessive ana
that they have recently been arbtra-
lilly raised.
Th tolls for transporting one horse
by freight from Auburn To Cumberland
junction is $40; from Auburn to East
LiVcrmOre is $40; from Auburn to
Portland is Sc; frcm Auburn To Farm
iHStun is $40; from Auburn to Win
tnrOp is $40; from Auburn to Water
Vile is S7.2O; from Auburn to Sk0Whe
gan is $40; from Auburn to jay is SO;
| from Auburn 10 Wilton is Sc; from Au-
| burn to Pittsficld is $7.20: from Auburn
10 Detroit is $7.2O; from Auburn to
| Oakland is $7.2O; from Lewiston to
| Brunswick is $3.50 The same tolls are
| charged from Lewiston.
| The petitioners pray that the railroad
| commissioners shall fix the rate, ac-
| cnrGing to the power vested i'm them by
| Section l, oi Chapter - of the Revised
Statutes of 1908. The complaint vas
filed Jan. - by Tascus Atwood of Au-
burn, attorney for the petitioners. tn"
| Maine Central was duly notified by the
| railroad commissioners and filed win
| the board its reply.
| The reply sets forth that the state
| urnt OF rates is correct, except that
tncv include the free transportation of
| q man one way to care for the horse.
| Continuing it states: when Congress
lrlsead the so-callcd Hepburn rate bill
IN June, 1906 tho management of this
lconlpanv deemed it advisable to adopt
itnc official classification, which * in
cff"r. "a most reads east of the Miss
/ issippi river and north of MaSon'S and
Il DiXor'S line. With scarcely an cXcep-
| ton, in ulac" Of the old classification
which this company has used for thr'
past y years. This classification WAS
made effective On this road oct -,
1906 ana divides the freight into six
Il classes. Tho change in classification
raised the rates on few articles. but
decreased the rates on much larger
number. and this change increased the
rae Of freight on . horse. which the
pctitipnrr complain of.
Gin comparing the rates of freight on
n horse now in effect on this road with
the largest roads in New England. III"
rates of this company compare favor
ably with other roads"
Subsequent para graphs state the con-
GuinnS surrounding the shipment Of
horses ana the fact that the Maine Cen
/ tr1I reduces the estimated weight Of z
horse (40n0 lhS) III the Hepburn bill by
/ y rrr cent. In closing the reply it sets
forth that: considering the hazardous
nature Of the freight transportation
its liability to damage and tn" conse-
orcnt heavy paYmcnt Of such damage
he fact Of the highest grade of service
I,in.c rroI,irc,i the carriage Of pas
/ Srnr.r the exclusive use of Il box can
ana tnn constantly increasing cost 81
\ onnratiOn. which your honorable board
\ IL aware Of az well as the petitioners
ana tie fact that our rates average rs
low ~ other roads. ana lower than 9th
~ roads outside Of New England. | hce
] Ia submit that our rates ere not unrca'
,nnablc. as complained of by tine lcti-
TONERS"
The reply. which is signed by Ge"rg'
L Evans. vice president and genera
manager. was filed with the commits
sioners on March >.
This is said to be the first time tha'
tho law in such cases has been invoked
in this State, though a similar law i
/ commonly made use Of in Massachu
colts The outcome of the case will bt
watched with interest also. as 1t be
| comes a question as 10 whether th'
rates Of the famous Hepburn bin ar
excessive.
Tho Board of Railroad Commission
ers have approved the location OF th'
! "Schoodic cutoff" so-called. ON th'
/ Bangor & Aroostook Railroad. The new
line will extend between South La
grange and Il point in Township
Range 9. passing through the towns Q
Mrdford and Lakeview. 1t NOT on.
shortens the travelling distance De
tween the two points. but one of IN
worst grades on the system is aVolded
During the past week a portrait o
the Hon. John Fairfield. four time"
governor of Maine, twice its repre-
sentative in Congress and from 1918 Il
1S4s one of it's United States senators
has been hung in the rotunda OF TN
State House. The portrait, whlch
the work of J. b. Kahill of Portland
presented to the State by members
z Gov Fairfield's family.