New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-01-20
RAILROADS.
The Texas Pacific Railroad Company Be.
fore tho House Committee.


WASHINGTON, January l9.-The Pacific
evening to hear the statements of the Texas
Pacific Railway Company on the one hand,
and the Central Pacific aud Southern Pa
cltic Company of California ON the bills
now before the Committee providing for
the completion of the Thirty Second par
allel line to the Pacific. Colonel Thomas
A. Scott, Major Frank S. Bond and ex- Gov
ernor John c. Brown, Of Tennessee, ap-
peared for the Texas Pacific, and C. p.
Hunting gton and G. II. Sheriff. Tor the Cen
trail and Southern Pacific.
Colonel Scott presented the advantages of
a competing trans continental line to the gov
srnment and the people, and showed not
only the interest of the government in hav
ing the Texas & Pacific promptly construct
ed by reason OF the great economies 1t would
secure in its military, Indian and postal
transpor tation, through the cheap transpor
tation thereby provided. and by the ability
it would thereby possess to solve humanely
and efficiently the Indian question: but
also the duty of the United States to con-
struct the samel in order to comply with
it's treaty obligations, assumed when Ari
zona and New Mexico were purchas-
ed. He also called attention to the fact
that the constant border troubles with
Mexico made it imperative that the gov
ernment should have prompt facilities for
moving troops and supplies, and that the
military defense of the entire Pacific coast
| now rested solely upon single line liable
to serious interruption during the winter
months of the year. He spoke of the great
benefits to be conferred upon the people
through the provisions Of the bill securing
the road as an open highway without dis
elimination to ali connecting lines, and also
giving Congress the power to SO regulate
| the rates OF traffic as to allow no speculation
or individual profit, but simply to maintain
| the line, and protect the actual capital
! invested. He showed the great advantage
| to the South and to all sections by the en-
pioyment which would be given to mines,
! factories, furnaces and to many thousands
| of idle laborers in building the road and
| its equipment, and adverted to the fact
that some such measure was needed to re-
store confidence and revive our PROSTATE
industries. He showed that the liability to
be assumed by the government was but
nominal, that its own transportation would
take care of half of it, and that it was &C.
cured by first mortgage, by the net re-
ceipts from laude, by deposit of $4,000 per
mile of bonds and by all the earnings of the
line.
Colonel Scott took the Opportunity to re-
fute certain charges against his own per-
sonal credit, made for the purpose, he said,
of damaging the Texas and Pacific road,
ana n6O tno happiness Oh BCAung Ln0G No
owed no man ANYTHING.
Major Bond, vice president of the Texas
and Pacific road, presented an array of fig
ures, showing that the net earnings of the
present Pacific road were ten times the
amount necessary to protect the govern
ment's guar Of interest on the Texas
and Pacific bonds, and that the government
would save from $5,000,0OO to 100000
per year by the building OF the road,
and gave the figures to demonstrate that
the moment the Pacific road obtained
control of the Pacific mail they raised the
rates from fifty to 100 per cent, so that the
people are now paying an extla 8, 600, 900
| per annum for the benefit of the stock
holders of the construction company that
| built the Central Pacific road, and
similar corporations. Major Bond showed
| that the Southern Pacific of California was
| but the Central Pacific under another name,
| and that it was folly to expect the Central
| Pacific to build a competing road to ITSELF
| Mr.. Huntington, who appeared for the Cen.
| trail and Southern Pacific presented the
claims of the Southern Pacific to build the
| line from Fort Yuma east until it should
meet the Texas and Pacific building west.
He claimed that they were anxious to have
the road completed, as they felt sure it
was needed to develop the country through
which it would pass, and that, in addition
| to the local wealth of Arizona, New Mexico
| and Texas, there would be large through
trade between the Pacific coast and the wa.
ters of the Gulf of Mexico. He entertained
no doubt that the road would pay, but
asked that the Land grant heretofore made
! to tho Texas and Pacific should be bestowed