Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-01-05
SIGN IN ADVANCE
Popular Protest of Lew
iston-A u burn Folk
Against L. A. & W.
Anything in Reason

The Lewiston Journal Of Friday says:
Popular protest against service ON
the local lines Of the Lewiston, Angus
ia & Waterville Street Railway mas
eliminated in Il petition for relef
which soon will be presented to the
Public Utilities Commission.
Various petition papers are to be
circulated in Lewiston and Auburn.
end the first of these is now open at
ThbauH's store at the end Of the Pros
rect Hill line. This relates to the Pros
pect Hill line only and on Friday noon
it contained 70 signatures. The exact
wording hasn't yet been formulated.
the petitioners obligingly affixing their
names in advance; but it will ask for
Commute service and improved condi
lions. and those interested believe tina:
Mayor Burnham, when he returns from
Boston, will see that it is properly
worded and circulated. And plans are
being made for the circulation of petit
tions dealing with all other lines in
Lewiston and Auburn.
Unquestionably the public is bitterly
dissatisfied, especially since. the cold
wave began. with service furnished up
on the L., A. & w lines. The immedi-
ate cause of this suddenly increased
dissatisfaction is the freezing of heat
ing apparatus and motor troubles
caused by the bitter cold.
Back of this are three general rea-
sons-Old cars. woefully insufficient
power, and disposition by at least
part Of the conductors and motormen
to hinder rather than to assist the
running Of the road. Grieved by the
failure Of their strike, and by the &C
ton of the company in dismissing two
of their number-Pratt and Desjar-
dins-the Gripping Of the service and
growing temper Of the public has ex-
actly suited them. This does not. of
course, apply to all, but it does apply
to a very considerable number.
Where does the seat of the trouble
lie? Back of all these local causes and
conditions, whose Is the actual fault ?
Well, that is very broad. general
question. and one which cannot be
answered in a hurried article. Broadly
speaking, the Cumberland Light &
Power Co. the Lewiston, Augusta &
Waterville Street Railway Co., and the
Bangor Railway & Electric Co, re-
spectively controlling most Of the i'm
portant lines in western, central and
eastern Maine, are largely owned by
the same out of the State capitalists
Some Of the stock is held in Maine. but
much of it is controlled in large cities
eisewhere-mainly in Philadelphia.
Service on the lines running in and
radiating from Portland and Bangor
is all that could reasonably be expect
ed in view of unusual conditions caus-
ed by the weather and the war. 1t is
not all that could reasonably be ex-
pected on the line running in and ra-
dating from the cities of Lewiston
and Auburn. Why this should be So
why the big financial interests con-
trolling all three systems seem to
have so sadly sighted the 100. 900 per-
sons Immediately served by the L.
A. & Wis altogether too big ques-
ton to be entered into here 1t is
something that only commission en-
powered to summon witnesses and
conduct an investigation could deter
mine.
one thing, however, is certain
Service on the l.. A. & w. has reach
ed point where, in the opinion Of
thousands of patrons. an immediate
appeal to the Public Utilities commits
sion is necessary. Hence the circula-
ton Of the petition papers.