Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-03-16
.our.Electrie- Railroads.

our EleCtiC R9iiFoauSr
hon. Herbert II Heath spoke a. fol-
lows:
The brilliant and distinguished at
torney general Of this State VAS oncc
an editor. He built 4 famous Hall of
Fame. 1 WIS one Of its charter men,
befs. receiving at his hands the sd
degree, Being a lawyer, he tells the
truth-occas ionaIly. Among other
truths. he WAS good enough to say
that | claimed to have built all the
electric railroads in Maine with oc-
casional aid from civil engineers and
n few capitalists Civil engineers did
help me--a little. The capital / did
not furnish had not then tried the
Portland water case. "Patt' has Il
way of finding the weak points of his
victims. exposing them with such
graceful satire that his gentle humor
leaves no sting | had been excessive
~ proud of my connection with the
electric railroad development of
Maine. Perhaps [ am too proud of it
now. | fear | am. | plead in eXtenu
alton Of my guilt that | believe | shall
leave behind me Il monument of SER
vice to my State of which | have Il
right to be excessively proud.
The electric railroad of today is a
material factor in the development of
Maine, where Maine most needs dcVel-
opment. When WE began in 50 We
had no code of electric railroad law
We mad neither rights. nor power. nor
friends The interests were against
us. The steam railroads fought us,
inch by inch Legislative committees
looked upon as as iatcrlopers, to be
heard with patience and mildly shown
the door. 1t was thoIny road to
travel
Today. we have system Of electric
railroad law under which capital is
safe and the rights Of the people jcai-
ously and scrupulously guarded EV-
cry location is submitted to an advis-
DRY popular vote. our right Of emf
nent domain is never exercised with
out full hearing before taking the land
of an unwilling owner. Steam rail
roads can plan their lines at viii. The
electric road must prove BY evidence.
that by its proposed location ON pri-
waite lands "the public service would
he thereby better performed - In
drafting such provisions my idea was
that the nearer We kept to the concep-
ton of being u public servant. the
more likely capital would seek invest
ment Respect the rights of the peo-
pie and the people will respect yo1r
rights. So far as the electric roads
are concerned, they ought to welcome
Public Utility Commission. 1T viii
strengthen them. Close Ia the people,
they have nothing to fear from the
people
Today we have al the rights VIC can
Justly expect. We are "a power in the
State. because the people believe in us.
We have friends everywhere, because
we serve our friends The interests
are no longer against us because to
oppose US is To invite their own de-
feat For years the steam railroads,
generally speaking, have ceased to
fight us. They have learned that even
parallel roads are a benefit to them
not an injury Before MANY decades
much of the Improbable business OF
the steam roads will be done by the
electrics. Legislative committees will
ingly grant our reasonable requests.
No lobby cares to throw its hat into
any ring where an electric road stands
barred to the waist 10 meet all Corners.
In 1889 the trolley mileage was only
. short bankrupt road in the streets
of Bangor. Today the mileage is as
10. 1899 men are employed. The wa
ges paid are 81 ,114,32372. They carried
last year, and you will hardly believe
it, 40, $50 $40 passengers. Their gross
assets are s24, 542, 574.03. Their gross