Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-03-31

Grand Trunk a Few days ago Oh Tue
floor of this House when they were
trying to stop connections with it.
Now the Grand Trunk is not only
laying out money in Portland but is
laying it out all along the line. You
know they are building their bridges
at the present time for a double track
all along the Grand Trunk road.
When. they get that they win want,
more dockage. They have three docks
there, and as has been said there
were nine steamers tied up at those
docks at one time; but will tell you
that l have seen nine more waiting
to get into the dock not this spring
because l have been here ak Augusta
all of the time; but have seen them
In the winter time. In the. summer
time the docks are practically empty.
Now do you know that the largest
line of put up beans in this country is
IN Portland, Maine, and. those beans
have to come from California? Do
YOU know that eighteen million
pounds of beans were brought into
the State of Maine the past year? II
we could have brought them directly
by ship to the city of Portland ii
Woud have saved the citizens of
Maine one-half cent a pound on
every pound of beans brought in from
California. Do you know that the
raisins we get from California are
Drought in by train, and do you know
that we would save one half a cent a
pound on them il they could be
brought by water? Do you know
that the apricots, the raisins and the
oranges that you ate the other night
come from California, and that they
had TO come through by train for the
reason that there were no vessels
coming to cortland. and that we
would haveegot them one-half a cent
Il pound cheaper if we had the vessels
coming to Portland, and all because
we have not got doekage enough in
Portland?
1t has been said that the Grand
Trunk Will let them have dockage
room They will during the sum
mer; but in the winter they look af-
ter their own business first. Now /
Will tell YOU why this was This con-
dition of affairs was brought about
because there was n depth of thirty
two feet of water That depth of
thirty-two feet OF water only ex-
tends three docks aboxe the Grand
Trunk docks. Now one of those
docks is being taken over by this
commission that was appointed by
the Governor and was sanctioned BY
| Inc voters of the State of Maine.
| They went there and took il. What
was the reason for it? At the pres
ent time we have two elevators. built
by Portland or Maine capital mostly
anu by the banks of Maine and leas
ed to the Grand Trunk: and when
they are paid for the Grand Trunk
is to own them, but they have to pay
ever ydollar. want to say right here
that the Grand Trunk is the only
road in Maine that know of which
has paid the towns every dollar that
they hired of them. They have paid
every cent and this has been done
through water transportation
And now | want TO say further that
we have paid fifteen dollars ton for
soft coal while the Government was
III charge because it put up the rates
! Wages were high; but think that if
the LaFOlette is taken off the Stat
tue book, We will get back where we
will get Some reduction in our freight
rates So that you gentlemen in the
! interior can get your coal cheaper
! Now ] want to state some figures
! in the coal business. a year ago coal
brought in her was s5.46 per ton by
rail and steamer. Today coal is
brought in by water at $50 per ton
into Portland Harbor, and $2.Ss.
| brought down from the mines to the
steamer: and if the gentleman will
read that same paper he will see that
coal has dropped fifty cents ton.
and we are in hopes to see it drop
more in a little while.
/ Now the gentleman spoke abort
these steamship lines not being pay
| ing proposition to their stockholders.
| Now the Maine Steamship Company
did pay dividends. the Portland and
| Machias Steamboat Company paid div
| idends. the international Line paid
dividends. and the Portland Steam
Packet Company paid dividends; but
what was the reason? After they got
out of Maine control to the control of
! Massachusetts and New York, they
watered the stock so that they could
| not pay, and today they are asking us
not to build piers but they are asking
| US to reduce their taxation which Is
more than what it would cost to
build any pier in Portland. Now there
| is where we are up against these
| things. A good many towns in the
| state have canneries and much OF
their product is c~cried to the Pacific
coast. With water transportation you
| can carry it one-half a cent pound
cheaper. We are already assured, a.
| I understand from the commissioners,
J a line of steamers from Portland.
! will bring back the product of the
| West. which is canned tongue. which
would almost load ship almost any
thrip that they could make. Now one
! half cent a pound Is not much on one
| pound, but on large steamer load il
would mount to great many dollars.
| ] was told by our largest mineral
water concern in this country. Hiram
| Kicker Il Sons--Mr. Edward Kicker
told me last year that they lost the
sale Of $50 cars of water on account
os transportation. Now, gentlemen,
there is one thing. a Maine product,
and advertising Maine from here to
California, that could not be carried
because of transportation facilities
The difference in the price of a car Of
I water nv rail and car Of mater he