Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-01-24
One ConS0|idateS Lines Allied With Maine Central
Another Believed TO Be in Interest Of Cana.
dian Pacific. Donigan Introduces New Ballot
Law After the Connecticut Model.

| The most important feature of new
| Legislation introduced in either house
Monday afternoon was the bill intro
duced by Senator FoSs Of Androscog-
gin authorizing the merger of the
Somerset Railroad Co. Washington
County Railroad Co., and the Sebasti-
cook and Moosehead Railroad with the
Maine Central Railroad in accordance
with the plan which the Maine Cen
trail management has been considering
| for some time. AS is we'll known the
Maine Central Railroad owns all three
OF these other railroads: it owns all
the stock of the Washington County
| Railroad; all but q few shares of the
existing stock in the Somerset and the
stock and securities of the SebaSticoolS
and MoOsehead, but at the present
time the properties are operated as
three distinct and independent corpor-
atoms.
1t is understood that some of the re-
suits which will work out of this bill
are economic in the operation of these
roads. including the fact that after
the merger but one set of accounts
1 anu Reports VIII nave u Dt IlIsttt u
! the Interstate Commerce Commission,
While under the present conditions
| four distinct sets have to be filed. y
result in which the travelling public
will be greatly and directly interested
| in the fact that Maine Central mile
age book will then be good ON all Of
these lines. At present n separate
| mileage book has to be used on each
of these lines.
| A feature in which the people will
also be Interested is the fact that if
the taxes which fall due next April
were to be assessed on these proper
ties merged under the provisions of
| this bill, they would amount approXi-
mately to $4,000 more than they
would upon the separate properties
under the present conditions An
other important feature Is that a Sec
| ton of the bill provides that the con-
tract between the State and the SOM
erset Railroad and the Washington
County Railroad providing for re-
fund of 95 per cent. of the taxes of
these companies will become nun and
void.
a series of three railroad bills We're
introduced by Representative ThOmp-
son of Pressure Isle of great interest
| to the residents of Northern Maine
and which are believed by some to be
| the forerunner of railroad development
| OF international importance. one bill
provides for the turning of the cana
dian Pacific branch to Presque Isle
over to the Aroostook Valley Railroad
a second authorizes the Aroostook
Valley line to extend its electric road
from Washburn through Woodland to
New Sweden and a third provides for
the extension of the Aroostook Valley
Railroad Cos. lines from Washburn
to Wade plantation and through to
the western line of the State. Such
n line would make the connecting link
for a short line from Quebec to St
John Harbor and afford Canadian
| points the outlet desired for Canadian
development coming through Quebec
for which three railroads have long
been contesting.
Those who profess to see develop
ment of international Importance in
these bills introduced by Representa-
| tive Thompson point out that for more
| than 20 years the Canadian Pacific,
| Grand Trunk Pacific and Canadian
Northern have all be fighting for the
| business that comes from the develop
ment of Northern Maine and Western
| Canada and that all hope to turn it To
| Quebec instead of Montreal. The
Canadian Pacific. they say, has been
| trying ever since it came into Maine
to get a short line from Quebec to St.
John Harbor The Aroostook Valley
already has road from Pressure Isle
| to Washburn, which has Immensely
heavy rails easy curves and grades
for handling freight traffic, which has
been operated as an auxiliary to the
| Canadian Pacific with connection
trains and cars shifting from one line
| to the other.
The railroad from Washburn to the
Western border of the State as pro-
vided in the bill would cross the Van
Buren, and Fort Kent divisions of the
famous falls on the Allegash and make
that region tributary to Washburn and
Presque Isle. 1t would pass through
a rich timber and game country now
a Wilderness and cross at right angles
the proposed Allegash extension of the
Bangor & Aroostook. The three bills
many believe mark the beginning OF
a great railroad system tributary tc
the Canadian Pacific, which could en-.
ter into active competition with exist
ing lines for business in Northern
il Aroostook and guarantee an outlet te
L tide water on the Canadian side of the
II National boundary.