Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1873-07-16
penor, NJ Railroad Committee

,ra The findings are very mild. Tue mrs
.h,rge was, that ,'mOncy had been used
% influence legislation and Fubver, justice
in this State, by the managers oil the vet,
mon, Central road" The committee h""
,b,, "pO measures before the legislature
we're passed or defeated in consequence Of
the action Of the paid attorneys oil 'nS
road, and that legislation had not Oeen
improperly Influenced by any re'Aine'
Tho The trustees had paid to its agents
They acaui, all the gentlemen. who
had been charged with beng brloed, =,
having received money for any but lsgin-
mate aud lawful purposes" They also
EXPRESS their regret that the managers OF
the trust "had employed energetic young
LAWYERS. who united to their professional
Qualifications, considerable political ae-
suppose, hat the hSSnagesfss gn6ala' have
employed less influential legal talent. aud
that they had some design in retaining
capable and suitable men, which, IL the
committee had he'd more time aud ability,
they would have been glad to discover
and report. Iu default of being able to
find any corruption, however, either on
the Part of the gentlemen retained by the
trustees or on the part OF the trustees
themselves, they content themselves with
warning the managers not do so again.
or, if they must employ lawyers retain
those stupid members Of the legel persua'
sion, Who to their disabled vitality unite
no considerable political activity or iniiu'
ence.
The scconcd charge was, 'that certain
car companies had been organized to run
in connection with the aforesaid roads,
and involved corrupt practices to large
extent"
The committee find "that the Vermont
Central did not have cars enough to meet
the demands of ats business, aud that they
had no funds to use in the construction OF
cars" aud that 1t did procure and hire OF
certain companies sufficient rolling stock
: TO meet their necessities, and that all The
connecting lines paid the same rates that
the Central did for the use of the cars,
and "that the interests Of tire public had
! been better served in consequence OF the
employment of these cars. and that the
Central has carried more freight than 1t
! otherwise would have done, and that the
4 trust fund had not been dcfrauded IN con-
f sequence of these companies" Still, IL
T Consideration. of the 'li9bilitx to -abuse
f question the policy" of such companies
e We venture to ask the committee whether
there is anything ''inthe nature Of things
> that would make it dangerous for Gem.
r mon carrier who has larger business
Y than he can do with his own teams, to
K hire the necessary means of transporta.
tion from another firm in which he is a
partner, especially if he pays them just
0 perquisite for the work. How does il
r initiate against public policy" 10 serve
: 'the public interest ?"
' The committee were next authorized tc
hunt for "lrauds and POPULATIONS though
!. no charge Of either was made.
= They first investigated the Foundry
Company. This has furnished the whecI
and other castings for the use of the Cen.
trail road. The report completely exon.
: era'es the managers from any unfair OF
fraudulent use of their powers in respect
: : to this company. The statement Of theil
report is ample and satisfactory, and the,
conclued with the significant fact 'thaI
: an advisory committee elected By ballot Js
the bopdholders approred Of this contract
and Of all other contracts made Jy til,
, trustees and managers" The public will
be at loss to understand why the partie.
D who have heretofore approved of the con
: tracts and actions of the managers should
: now ccntrovert this policy. This state.
!. ment shows the reason why the security
n holders Of the Vermont Central and the
4 Vermont & Canada roads have no JUS
cause of complaint against the Trustees
1t may so explain the action of Tho
e Court in many cases, in carrying out ju
0 dicially the plans in which all the parties
: in nterst were perfectly agreed. 1t re.
} lieves alike the managers and the, Cour
from the charges which have been SO ig
> norantly and reckessly hurled at them
The committee next find that there 81.
no evidence to show that the secret ser
}. vice fund was corrurtly used" They
might well have left the matter here with
, ous the unprofessional and needless sug
gestion that they could not tell wha
frauds an ampler investigation might have
: revealed. 1t can hardly be the duty o.
legislative committee to state that while
: their examinations, so far as they have
gone, disclose no corruntiop nerhana Il