New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-11-25
TIE ERIE ACCOUNTS.

PORT-EvIDENCE TO SHOW THAT IT WAS IN TIE
ORIGINAL COPY.
Readers of TIE TRIBUNE will remember at the
time of tho controversy between S. II. Dunan,
Auditor and Peter Ii. Watson President of the Erie
Railway Company, what stress was laid upon
the word approximately" in the formers
statements Of the Company's accounts. The
matter has been renewed by the discovery Of the
facts that in the report of the auditor Or. Dunan)
of the Erie Railway to the State Engineer, on the
subject of the condition Of the Erie Railway, Mr.
Dunan charges that the word approximately" has
been omitted In support of bis charges Mr.. Dunan
makes the statement found below, and submits the
documents in confederation, The TRIBUNE quotes
his language:
| While was with the Erie Railway Company was
extremely cautious concerning the making of state
ments regarding the accounts which would place Inc In
position where could be held accountable for their
correctness therefore had inserted the word ap
proximately" in the affidavit to tho report which
fled in Albany. This report was filed by the Acting
President, JAM H. 1874. Aftorward, fearing that the
report might have been tempered with sent to Albany
to copy made T. &. Lamb. the chief bookkeeper,
vino made the report, and who inserted the word
Approximately" returned and reported follows:
ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT ERIE RAILWAY CoMrANY,}
NEW YORK, March 4, le74.
SIR: As Instructions visited the Office Of
tie Deputy Engineer OF tue state or NeW-IoIk at
OF the L c Railway Comps any for The year ending Sent
80, 1873, fled therein, find the affidavit covering 1t
q T e yfs yPrs , c y III Pssas Gsa:l
Operations Kne RsvIy Company being seYela
each for himself ceposss AID that the statements ia he
thereof approximately correct according best Of
LIS edge. iaoraaioa M belief sH. DtIAN,
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 10Th day January 1874
H4IsES II SMITH, Notary Public, HeE.York COa.ty
The declaration at the end of the report reads as fol-
The undersigned caused the foregoing ssecnts prepared
by the proper ce and agents this Company IRON Che books and
10 be approximately correct $ Il DUSAy General AudOr
Very respectfully, T. G. LAMB, Chief Bookkecper.
Mr.. Lamb is still in the same position in the Erie
Company. When the English accountants report
reached noticed the omission from their statement
of the word approximately" and Immediately wrote
them to make correction IN prominent paper
in London To this letter received this morning the
following reply:
SIR We beg 70 acknowledge the receipt OF your letter
accounts Issued by the Eide Railway Company, now
before u.s. the affidavit verifying the accounts TO the
SO1h ol September, 1872 states them 70 be approx
imately true aud correct" while the affidavit verifying
those to the 3o Of September 1873 of which We annex
cory. states them 10 be :" true and correct"
We are uoable, therefore. to comply with yonr re.
quest to make correction OF the statement contained
IN our reports In some prominent newspaper IN London,
until we snail have been furnished with official copy
on examination to be incorrect. We remain, Sir
most obedient servants, QULTER BALL & co.
To s. H. DunaD, No. 1873 Broadway New-YogG.
Mr.. Dunan continuing said: never for moment
doubted the existence OF the word approximately in the
State Engineers official report and so took no trouble
in the matter On referring TO it to-day, however,
discovered its omission The very natural query IT, BY
whose order was IL omitted
The Hon Sylvanus H. Sweet is the state Engjnaer
and John A. Cooper the Deputy Engineer Tho compiled
the annual report.
THE REDUCTION OF WAGES on THE ERIE ROAD.
TO the Editor OF The Tribune.
SIR {: see by The TRIBUNE Of Sept. 10 that
President Jewett OF the Erie Railroad says 1.-THE mau
agement OF that Company Is constantly oognsed ia re-
treDcbmeDt and has been busy in that way for some
time, and when the work is completed, decrease in
wages will amount TO IL or 20 per cent" He also denied
the truth OF certain statements that Erie employees
had not been paid for several months and sand that they
had all received their pay for September but had
been paid for October yet on account Of its taking
much time to make payrolls and audit them, &c. In
gard 10 the September and October pay he Is all right;
but the paymaster had finished paying for September
only two days before SO you that other
before in regard to their not receiving their pay for
September were truthful and he has paid than
half OF them during the last week. II the Company does
pay better than they have this last month we will
not al OF us get pay for October before January
1876 None OF us have received our pay for October
All that have been paid the officers NewYork and
President Jewctt. AS for making pay-rols &c. 1t did
not TO take long; not under Watson's ad-
innistration. That is good prolong paying
II don't take them very long their own pay
roll and audit II.
He also said tne Company were gong to put the rail-
way on economical basis Would l. not be better Tor
the Company then 10 begin ~ the head aud
the Predenps salary about 65 per and the salaries
OF the rest OF tue officers about per cents Now you
see by he own statement that they decreased the mum
their
Parauohs ior fhrther decrease. There are men on
thls ROAD tiat get onv IL ~ per day aud work only
nve honrs Is that sufficient for supporting "A small
inmu. IL Is Tue very poorest class that they reduce
Why noI ihey reduce tue engineers tram men, re.
tei'lg IRON Is u k6 day twelve huurs'
Thr Company understand that wlil not do. do moi