Daily Kennebec journal., 1925-08-20
+,,rsnorted by existing systems

1 were transported w
| to that county. a., - .h,s of-
f;ce we find that the Maine Centrai
Railroad Company, which Is tne
steam railroad company most vltaliy
affected by the proposed transport
tion system. operates fourteen nun
sred seventy-one G47D miles OF
track within our state, operating ~
every county except York, ana max
/ ing available to our farmers, manu-.
facturers and producers the MARES t
of New England and OF the w..
For the year 1924 the Maine Cen.la. la
Railroad transported products as ~
lows: -, ,orest
products. ,nd
other vegetables.
24.597 cars Of paper and paper po&-
l221 cars of milk and cream.
These figures will only accentua.e
the need of maintenance ana suppo,
to This railroad system, whose nnah- .
cial affairs have been the OBJECT VI
study. not only by this Commission
but by the Interstate Commerce
Commission Of the United States. a.
the present time this railroad coH.-
pany contemplates the discontl.u
ance of the Belfast Branch, whicn
operates between Belfast ana buln-
ham Junction, where it connects Win
The main line of the railroad. The
reason and effect of this PROPOSED
discontinuance of service Will De
seriously considered by students o.
transportation.
at is well recognized that the
! greater earning power of the heavier
traffic routes must be utilized to heip
support branches producing less re-
muneratiye traffic. Destructive com.
petitive service during the perfod ci
Reconstruction and readjustment ina
4 follows government control during
the war, should be permitted only
after careful inquiry and consldera :.
ton of it's probable consequences. IL
the central and profitable main lines
OF railroad be deprived of their
normal earning capacity. operating
companies will inevitably be forced
either to the abandonment OF branch
lines of service or to a dlmlnutlon OF
the present service.
'If what we have said concerning
the transportation of freight to and
from our State and between oui
various counties be considered irrele-
want and illogical because the pres
ent proceeding is addressed only to
the carriage of passengers, let it be
considered that a diminution of fin
ancial strength by withdrawing from
the railroads, street railways and eX-
, listing automobile transportation lines
now operating, the financial suSten-
ance they are now receiving, tends
inevitably to weaken the transporta-
tion structure. with the inescapable
consequence that freight and passen-
ger rates must be increased to supply
the deficit thus occasioned.
Our transportation system is in a
period Of modification and of trans
ition. Whatever issbest for the pub
lie as a whole will ultimately persist
: and prevail. The tide of progress is
overwhelming and cannot be re-
strained by any person or group OF
men who may temporarily stand an
its way.
IF the public service motor car
can demonstrate it's superiority over
the railroad or street railway, re-
sulting in substantial economy of
time or money, 1t should be cordial
ly received into our social and COM
!, mercial life as welcome guest
That it is new is not detriment. Its
badge of novelty should be accorded
II PapLS iCSO6 hiliOI. Ho Is Ell
titled to the best service possible to
be given and to the freeest utiliza-
ton Of inventions that are conducive
TO such result. Economic progress,
however. is plant of slow growth !;
its worth must be clearly established,
and this results in the survival of the
fittest in the economic world as in
the natural world,
I'VE believe that the objective to
be sought. in our State at least, is a
coordination of public automobile
service with that of the steam rail-
roads, and with such of the electric
railways and street railways as will
lend themselves to such coordinated d
service. 1t is trite and superficial
saying that railroads must be pre-
served, unless We are willing to d.
something to preserve them. Words
without acts and thought are of ex-
IRENE futility in a solution Of mat
ters like this.
The State has expended large
sums OF money to construct highways
affording means of automobile
transportation service that may se-
cure consistency and continuity and
frequency of opportunity to those
VINO would thus travel. The State is
concerned with these things, and we
beiieVe they may be realized without
INJURY to existing utilities and pub
nc service motor vehicles already
operating.
Proposed Routes
The Maine Motor Coaches. Incor-
porated, filed applications to run
Dusses over the following routes:
FROM Bangor, passing through and
serving Hermon. Carmel, Etna, New
port, Palmyra. West Palmyra. Hart
land and st. Adams, a distance OF ~
miles
From Dover-Foxcroft westerly to
Sangerville and return, a distance Of
10 miles.
From Dover-Foxcroft to Waterville
and return, southerly via Dexter. Co.
rinna, Newport, Detroit, Pittsfield.
Burnham, Clinton. Benton, Fairfield, to
Waterville, a distance of 63 miles.
From Bangor to Ellsworth, passing
through and serving South Brewer,
Orrington. South Orrington, Bucks
port. Orland, North Penobscot. Blue
hill. Surry and Ellsworth, a distance
of so miles.
From Bangor. passing through and
serving Brewer. Holden, Dedham,
Ellsworth, Trenton. to Bar Harbor and
return. The distance from Bangor to
Bar Harbor is estimated by the petit
toner as approximately az miles. This
trip also contemplates what it known
as the Bar Harbor Circle Route, itself
an extent of 80 miles, including Seal
Harbor and Northeast Harbor.
From Lincoln, passing through and
serving West Enfield, Passadumkeag,
| IrepnhuSh Milford Ola T,owo nro,o