Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-04-01
HAINEs SENDS PROTEST
Continued from Page One)


need more income, but the public do
not know this. They have a right to
know it; they have a right to know 1T
beyond your say-so or statement. Our
Statutes provide that a petition may
be filed with the railroad commission
ers claiming your rates to be excess
sive. at which you will have to show
whether they are excessive or not. l
make no objection to any rate which
is necessary to sustain your company,
whether it is two cents, "a cents or
even more, and L do not know and the
public do not yknow, except from your
say-so, that you need even two cents;
perhaps 1ta cents is enough. The last
financial statement published by the
Maine Central Railroad Company
shows it to be in a very fine financial
condition, and as l said in my letter
of March lat, "at: present think your
management is popular with the peo-
ple," but it will not be popular any
longer than the public believe they
are being rightly used, and they ere
entitled to the greatest publicity in
regard to your affairs. The people
own your railroads, not you, the man
agement. There are 233,195 depositors
in the Maine Savings Banks, some cf
whose money is invested in your Sc
curities. They are entitled to know
what you are earning and what your
expenses are. The people who ride
and pay freight are entitled to know.
The public service company is the
seller of mileage books; the public
are the buyers; and while our laws
are not very practical and the new
public utilities bill. which is to be
voted on at the September election. is
practical, and was enacted for the
purpose of giving tho public the full
est opportunity to know everything
about public service companies, yet
we have a statute now which gives
the public the right to petition to the
railroad commissioners, alleging any
rate YOU charge as unreasonable, and
L do not see how you can evade
thorough investigation into the affairs
OF the company under existing stat
utes, if anyone sees fit to proceed
against YOU along this line.
Now, how much better it would be
to wait until our public service law
can be enacted by a vote of the people;
as l thoroughly believe it will be at
the coming September election, and
then you can submit your rates for
their approval, at which time the pub
lie will have better chance to be
heard and at which time they may be-
come satisfied that they are being
used right AS it is, you are creating
nothing but dissatisfaction and dis
content, from the fact that the pub
lie has no means of knowing whether
you are are using them right or not.
I believe it will be the most unpopu
lar move you could make, and result
in the end in great damage to the
Maine Central Railroad Company.
The people of Maine are loyal to it's
own institutions and business enter
prises, including its railroads; but this
loyalty is based upon what they be-
lieve to have been in the past honest
management and reasonably fair
treatment: and when they have lost
this confidence, you have lost the 10y
atty of their support, which is liable
to find expression in the next Legis
laturc in the way of the greatest an
noyance and hindrance TO the pres
perity of the corporation you repre-
sent.
There is no immediate haste for
your proceedings. Al public utilities law
lis bound to become enacted in this
state in the near future, if not at the
coming September election, and You
have got to face the open with a most
complete and thorough exposition of
all the affairs of the corporation you
represent to those who are served
by it:
l urge upon you again the delay in
your proposed action in the increase
Of mileage rates in this State. You
claim to be subject to the interstate
commerce law; if so, why do you not
submit the proposition of the increase
of rates to them, that the public may
have an opportunity of being heard
then. You have done nothing yet to
give the public an opportunity to be
heard upon this important question.
either before State or federal authori-
ties You are not using the public or
the corporation you represent right by
proceeding as you are proceeding, as
it seems to me, and representing the
public as / do. feel it is my duty to
submit these suggestions for your con-
sideration.
With kindest regards, I am.
Very respectfully yours,
WILLIAM T. HAINES,