Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-09-23
Defends Electric Road.

| noted IN THIS morning = PttPNi -
complaint by party signed 'obsefN-
or" about the crowded conditions oil
| the cars on this street railway, put
was much more surprised at the en-
| dersement of the statement contained
in your editorial.
| The party complaining speaks of
| the 18th of this month, which, as you
will recall, was the largest day OF the
| Readfield Fair, when, according to the
| statement of the Journal there were
! three thousand people on the GROUNDS,
| which certainly was a good thlns 20
| have that number of people at the
| fair and as the grounds are 81 located.
a large proportion would have to ride
ON the cars, ii would not seem at all
Istranse If they We're overeroWded.
The statement is, that even with the
standing room taken the car stopped
to take on an old lady and the road
| is criticised for so doing.
Now if the ear had run by without
giving her AN opportunity to set ON It
might have been a serious ineonxen-
fence to her and she might have
missed a connection she was planning
to make or otherwise considerably
bothered her, 50 that ii would seem
as though, even in crowded eondi-
ton, that the only decent thing was
to give her the only chance there was
on the car.
have also noted what You have
said in the editorial about the ears be-
ing overcrowded. | have no interest
III this road whatever. nor have | had
"a her af and
my fare on it the same as everybody
else, but it has seemed to me, from
close observation that the road is
run as well as any / have seen any
where. The rolling stock is first class
and | should judge from what | know
a bout street railway they must have
expended many thousand dollars on
their roadbed. and they make quick
time and always prompt and you can
almost any day set your watch by the
cars and not be far off.
Now in reference to oVer-croWding,
YOU have sample right on this road
in the State street car which runs -
the cotton mill. There are always
empty seats and generally all the
seats are empty. bat does such ear
afford any particular accommodation
to any considerable number of people?
There is not road in the country
that is at all prosperous that its ears
are not overcrowded at the rush hours
and is il not better to have prosper
GUS road even though at certain times
il may be necessary TO stand little
While because of the overcrowding. II
you will give it moments thought
you will see that a railway which had
to provide seating capacity for all its
patrons at the rush hours would have
to keep on hand such an amount OF
rolling stock with the interest, depre-
citation and cost of maintaining men
ready to run them would eat UP every
possible profit a railway could think
of making: besides this the capacity
of the power station would have to be
increased four or five times and thus
would be standing idle a very large
proportion of the time. No railway
can afford this and if it was under
taken to be carried out it would mean
loss to the stockholders and a run
down road at the end.
have had some considerable ex
perience in the street railway bust
ness in many states in the Union and
| am free to say that | know of none
that is superior in its operation to this
one right here. 1t is owned and con-
trolled by outside capitalists which
has made it possible for us to have a
road from here to Wateryille, and
one from here to lewiston; we are
nifaliSfS a
extend the line to Livermore Falls and
possibly to Rockland, and it does not
seem to me quite right to ask them
To do what no road has ever done, or
ever could do successfully, and that
is TO provide absolute seating eapa-
city for every passenger every trip.
| have been on Water street as long
as any man at present doing business
here and ! know from my own per-
sonal experience that the bringing N
of this street railway has been the
greatest element of helping business
of anything that Augusta has had II
seems to me that the road is run up To
date and should be encouraged in ev
cry way rather than criticised.
I have noticed in the improvements
the city, where the road has been ask
ed to do things they have complied, al
though many times against their best
judgment, but have done 1t to please
the city and citizens of Augusta. We
ought to take hold and help them
rather than to stand back and criticise
on little things that amount to SO very
little. Augusta can probably never
increase it's manufacturing facilities
as there is nothing to call manufac-
turing capital to this city; our water
power is fully developed and what we
must depend upon as city is TO get
the trade of the surrounding country.
We haven't the capital in the city to
build street railways out into the
country; we are dependent on thes,
outside capitalists. Is it not good
business and good sense to treat these
gentlemen fairly and not unduly crit
| ieise, as | think the item in the Jour
mai this morning does?
| GEO. f. MACOMBER.
| Augusta, Me-, Sept. 20, 1913.
WHITEHEAD,