Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-25

stated by the Governor in his annual
message. Some Of them implying 4
J adical departure from the customs
AID policies of nearly a century" And
~ expresses in his message his ap-
probation IF the gravity of the situa1
tIoi,. when we undertake to reverse the
:,olicics Of d State which so.long eX-
aleG, and under which we have grown
md prosrcred.
You have before this Legislature.
and even before your committee, wild,
evolutionary and fantastic PROPOSE
lions and If some of these suggestions
,r propositions had been embodied in
he laws Of this State when these great
improvements to which / have refer
ed We're contemplated, capitalists
,iould have avoided investments in the
stale OF Milne, as they would a plague
trichea district
What III" business interests OF your
state require is rest from unreason-
alb. agitation: regeneration, and not
ra%tic, Unjust or experimental laws:
i,r you cannot rectify unjust legiala-
ton until after it has worked its III
Jlry, and doubtful or experimental
i"g!slation is worsr. than none ut all
ii is triflng with great and vital in
rests to rut Legislation, of the char
;.c:er proposed in this bill, upon the
hlatutc books. This bill proceeds to
ltgc Before it investigates The bus
l'ss Interests Of Maine are entitled tc
!" heard Lciort they are condc.nntil
tIc business interests of Maine are
=, ntitrd to laws that proceed lpon in
IL Il. NOT ia,
III after trial.
O1:' railroads arc crt atrd for the ac
communication Of the publ. for tins.
transportation of freight and Da:san
ais, ana they possess certain rights
Under OUR flaws As common carriers;
they must transport safely. and for 4
rrasCnaElc compensation. What is tn.
tcst OF Il reasonable compensation? No
..ngle rule can be laid down for all
asses. There is such q variety of Cir
tlmstdnces surrounding the opera
tons Of the different transportation in
tereSts of the State that Il hard and
fast rulc, such as is invoked here,
might cripple the very railroad IL
which it applied; it might impair its
c.cdit and endanger it's secGrities
X railroad must meet it's operating
expenses. pay thu interest On It's
! onds, many of which are held by our
savings institutions. and provide for
"-her charges. A railroad must main
| tain 4 fund to meet extraordinary eX-
lenses that may occur on its lines. 1t
must maintain its roadbea. its bridges
ard culverts: it must maintain its
equipment and it's motive power; it
|
numerous other necessary expenditures
required III its operation.
| And what is a reasonable rate OF
compensation must depend in d large
| degree upon the density of population
tie volume of business. the difficulties
| surrounding thc service, and the ter
ritory tn! ough which the railroad runs
I etween large and compact co1nmuni-
ties. travel is much more extensive
| tie Number OF passengers is much
| larger, the service is easier, the eli
| matte conditions may be more favor
able. and the carrier can transpor!
with much less cost.
What may be 4 reasonable rate on
one transportation line may not 10 4
reasonable rete on another. Wha;
|
ton Of a line may not be reasonabl9
rate On another portion of the SANE
line differently situated What may b.
| Il far passenger rate on the Somerset
| Iaily"a" from Oakland to Bingham
eAtendng through numerous towns
and villages. might not be 4 just rat,
from Bingham to kineo on line ex-
tending through a forest with 10 per
man, Mt settlements.
| But ignoring al of these crcum
stances and conditions. the proposition
here is. that this Legislature arbitrar-
| ly fix Il rate per mile on the Somerset
Railway beyond Bingham. dependent
not upon what the railroad can affor.1
to carry for. but upon what someon.
| says he wishes to pay. The mere
statement Of the proposition carries
with it its own condemnation.
Railroad corporations. under the
laws of this State, are authorized
through their directors. to establish
fares. tolls and charges upon passen-
gers and property, which are subject
to alteration by the Legislatures and
| the Railroad commissioners are au-
| thOriZed, upon complaint that the toll:
are unreasonably high. to revise lhe
same, not to fix them in the first in
stance. but to revise. This power
would apply only to traffic originating
and ending in its carriage within the
| state: for when it crosses the Sta!t
line it becomes interstate traffic. over
which Congress has assumed absolute
| jurisdiction and control And many OF
the accommodation that the railroads
! have heretofore extended to their pa
irons. and would be glad to extend
now. are prohibited by the laws OF
Congress. and drastic penalties are
| provided in case of violation.
If the railroads fix an arbitrary ana
| unreasonable rate on State traffic,
rate that is unjust or unfair. the Leg
islature has reserved the right to in
terfere. But before the Legislature
will Law its strong arm upon property
invested in railroad transportation. and
. undertake arbitrarily to fix rate. 1t
must clearly appear that wrong has
been committed. that injustice is be-
ing done, that there is an abuse o!
power upon the part of the directors
of the road.
And If railroad is deprived of the
| raoSopa hle "a tSc for