Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-03-25

tile soil for farm and orchard. We
are an industrious, sturdy, sober peo-
pie, yet / believe we have failed to
fully appreciate the great natural re-
sources within the state and the pos
sibilities of conservation and develop
ment.
For Public Utility Board.
Safe and efficient transportation ia
eilities and reasonable rates are abso-
lutely necessary to the agricultural
and industrial growth of any COM
munity. Therefore, the Progressive
party believes in such a public utility
board, or commission, as will protect
the public from being made to pay
extortionate rates, SO that these cor
porations may pay interest and I'M
considerable dividends on watered Sc
curities, a board that will at the same
time protect the small innocent stock
holder from disaster arising from dis
honest manipulation in matchmaking,
leasing, selling and consolidating these
corporations. Hot e S ly managed
they are performing great public
service and the public should pay such
rates as will pay for cost of capital,
efficient operation and maintenance of
profit for the hazard of the business.
To exact less would be unjust; to ex-
act more would be extortion.
The transportation lines in New
England today in sad and de-
plorable situation which / believe
could have been and would have been
avoided if President Taft had not, in
an evil hour, stopped the investiga-
tion of the N. Y, N. H. & II. r. r. in
stituted by President Roosevelt more
than six years ago. believe New
England would not today be suffering
from crippled railroad service, and dis
aster would not have overtaken the
small innocent stakeholder that is now
strewn In the pathway of Ynismanage-
ment and manipulation.
How Public Is Muieted.
AS illustrating how the public is La
BILE to be mulcted by manipulation of
public service corporations, let us take
the Maine Central railroad. If in the
purchase or lease of the Somerset, the
Rumford Falls, or the Sandy River
railroads, the Maine Central paid ex-
orbitant prices every Maine enterprise
must suffer for the public must in the
last analysis pay increased rates to
make up any deficit occasioned by
such transactions. The personnel of
a public utility board should be so
made up as to command the respect
and confidence of the general public
and the stockholders of the public SER
vice corporations. 1t should be
commission of fact, not Of legal TECH
niealities. The mode of procedure
should be SO simple that any citizen
of Maine could make his complaint
and be heard without prejudice or de-
lay.
In considering the question of trans
portation, we cannot dissociate our
minds from good roads and highways.
The State has recently adopted the
policy of issuing it's bonds for a large
sum of money to be expended in the
construction of good roads. How this
money, as well as other amounts
raised annually by taxation, shall be
expended is of vital importance to
Maine taxpayers. 1t seems to me the
economic value of good roads is meas
ured by the increased facility to get
our products. TO market. If improved
roads in Houlton,l skowhegan. Farm
ington, and indeed IN all towns along
the line of railroads, will enable the
farmer or manufactures, to carry two
tons of products to market where only
one ton is now being carried, good
roads become a direct economic value
to the users of such roads. 1t seems
to me that we should construct high
ways with this object first in view be-
fore entering upon a project of con-
strncting a great pleasure highway
from Fort Kent to Kittery.
Care for Our Forests.
Our forest lands should be cared for
ana increased There are thousands
or acres OF burnt or denuded land that
today are not adding any material
wealth to the State, but by adopting
a proper and carefully worked out
system, OF encouraging reforestation
they would become of great value.
We have within our borders almost
innun1erable undeveloped water pow
ers, the water from our lakes running
idly down our streams to the ocean.
1t needs but to be harnessed to give
ns power cheap enough to increase
by ten fold our manufacturing indus
tries. We are consuming in the State
more than 100000 tons of coal annu-
ally, costing about sS,00o,o 900 for power,
heat and light A very large portion
OF this is used for power. II our
water powers were developed under
proper State regulation and restriction,
the power thus generated, would
largely displace this large consump-
ton of coal, thus keeping In Maine
large sum of money now spent in
other states. When we have such vast
natural power close at hand, it would
seem to be dead economic loss to
pay annually such vast sums Of money
for steam power. Cheap power and
good transportation facilities will
surely tend to greater Industrial ac-
tiyities.
Agricultural interests.
Maine should take an advanced step
in encouraging agricultural interests,
for after ali agriculture is the back
bone and sinew of the state and Ma
ton. We have much fertile land that
is untitled. 1t should be the aim of
the State to encourage settlers to take
up this land for agricultural pur-
suits, not only to keep our young men
r.