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

In the Bangor Commercial this
morning l find an interview had with
Grover Cleveland, a man Of strong
Judgment and ex-President, in which
referring to railroad legislation he
says: There is much of the nature of
delirium in the popular cutlery
against railroad corporations. for in
stance. We shall all be ashamed Of it
by and by. | have had some reason to
know Of the real iniquities Of the cor
porations today and do know them,
but there is much that is not only
groundless but wrong in the f-hand
attacks made by the people"
Gentlemen of the Senate my conclu-
sion is from my researches on this
committee and in endeavOring TO get
at the facts ana what is for the best
interests of the greatest number and
it seems to me that when you reduce
he fare on the passenger traffic for the
benefit of the commercial traveller or
the summer tourist, you put the rate
up in one way or another upon the
freight Of the chief products Of the
country and that is why / have been
opposed to the passage of this bill.
Mr.. STAPLES of Knox: Mr.. Presi-
dent I am surprised at the attitude of
the senator from ArOOstOok The
Washington County Railroad, call it
by its right name if you please,
branch of the Maine Central Railroad,
q corporation that has $36,000,000 to-
day, whose gross receipts for last year
were 100000 1t is not the poor
Washington County Railroad but it is
the Maine Central Railroad; and will
he tell me that the Maine Central
Railroad is not able to give the same
fares upon the Washington branch as
upon any other branch. The b. & A.
railroad has twO-cent mileage. He
says the Washington County Railroad
cannot do it for they have only a GER
tain number of passengers per mile.
The y. and A. have 20 passengers per
mile and a two cent mileage and the
Washington County Railroad has 81
passengers q mile and q 2 IA cent
mileage. The taxpayers of Washington
county put 100000 which went into
the hands of the Maine Central, prop
arty that cost over $4,50O,000 they
have today in their hands for $1,000
600. / cannot see why they should not
have two cent mileage, the same as
they give any other branch. Has not
the State of Maine done pretty well
by the Washington County Railroad?
And when it has done so ii has done
it for the Maine Central Railroad. We
find that in 1890 a rebate was given
to that road in Washington county 1t
is not a poor road but d wealthy road
backed up by s4O,000,0O0. / have not
any doubt from a legal standpoint that
we can control the tariff
l hope the motion Of the senator
from Washington county will prevail.
The question being put upon
the motion to substitute the mi
nority for the majority report
the yeas and nays were called
for and ordered and the vote being had
resulted as follows: Those voting yea
We're Mcssrs. Clarke, Curtis, Deasy,
Eaton, Foss, Mills, Proctor, Putnam.
staples, Wyman-10. Those voting nay
were Messrs. Aver, Bailey, Barrows,
Brown, GarcelOn, Hcselton. Houston,
Irving, Page, Parkhurst, Philoon, Rice,
SeWall, Simpson, Stearns, Tartre, Theri-
ault-17. SO the motion was lost
On motion of Mr.. Irving of Aroostook
the bill was indefinitely postponed
On motion of Mr.. Staples Of Knox
CONTINUED on Page FYye.)