The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-10-17
[From the .Pittsburg National Labor Tri-
bune, Workingmen's Organ.l
Dill and the Nine Million Steal.

denied his guilty participation in the
attempted Nine Million Steal, it be-
comes our duty to place his record be-
fore our readers. 1t will be seen that
"the child of the circuit" in this, as
upon all other legislation entailing a
surrender of rights upon the part of
the Commonwealth at the bidding of
corporations, was faithful to the greedy
powers which placed him in the Legis-
lature. 1t was only..after the guberna-
torial maggot had entered his head,
that he awakened to the'-necessity of
an occasional recognition of the wish
es, interests and rights of the people.
Senate bill 1910, better known as the
Mine Million Steal" was railroaded
through both Houses within forty
eight hours after its introduction. 1t
was entitled "An Act to facilitate and
secure the construction of an additional
railway connection between The wa
| ters of the Susquehanna and the great
lakes, Canada and the northwestern
States, by extending the aid and cred
it OF certain corporations to the Jersey
| Shore, Pine Creek and Buffalo Rail-
Company and in like manner to
aid the construction of the Pittsburg,
Virginia and Charleston Railway, the
Clearfield and Buffalo Railway, and
the Erie and Allegheny Railway"
The preamble sets forth the importance
to the State of an additional connec-
ton of the anthracite and bituminous
coal fields through the building of the
aforementioned roads, Thereby add
ing greatly to the taxable values for
State, county and municipal purpo-
ses," etc. Section one authorized the
Jersey Shore, Pine Creek and Buffalo
Railroad Company to execute a first
mortgage to the amount of siD million
dollars, which should cover their en-
tire line of road, to secure the payment
of six millions of the bonds of the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company, then
in the sinking fund of the State, and
which were to be delivered to said Jer
sey Shore, Pine Greek and Buffalo
Railroad Company; the proceeds of
said bonds to be applied to the build
ing of the Jersey Shore road. Section
two provided that the SO, 500, 900 of AL
| legheny Valley Railroad bonds, then
| in the hands of the Commissioner of
the Sinking Fund, together with all
the guarantees connected Herewith,
be appropriated for aiding in the de-
velopment of certain districts of the
commonwealth, as follows: To the
Pittsburgh, Virginia and Charleston
Railroad, ST, 100000; to the Clearfeld
and Buffalo Railway Company, ST.
400, 1000; to the Erie and Allegheny
Railway Company, $500, ,O00-for which
the State was to receive the bonds, re-
spectifully bearing the same interest,
maturing the same time as the bonds
the State then held in pro rata proper
ton from each company, "all of which
shall be secured by second mortgage
upon those lines, the said companies
| limiting their first mortgage to an
amount not exceeding $4,000 per mile,
etc.
On March 18th, the foregoing bill
was read and laid on the table. In
few minutes thereafter motion was
made to proceed to second reading
and consideration of the bill, and the
yeas and nayes were required by Mes
Sis. Brown, of Clarion, and Shurlock,
of Beaver. Mr.. Dill, with fifty-three
others, voted for the motion Mr.
Brown raised the point of order that it
required a two-third vote to carry the
motion; but the chair decided the
point not well taken, and Messrs
Brown and Boileau appealed from the
decision-the chair being sustained by
A. H. Dill, of Union, and fifty eight
others. A motion to postpone consid-
Grafton was voted down, Dill voting
no. A motion to adjourn was voted
down, Dill voting against it. The bill
was then put upon its passage on Sec
ond reading and Mr.. Dill voted for it
CNSly tilllS' ANCAV Ntty, 4hdICl iotii,
the bill was put upon third reading
and passed, Dill, of Union, voting for
it.
The above bill took from the sinking
fund IS, 500, 900 of bonds amply secured
of which the interest and part of the
principal was annually paid, substitut
ing therefor the mortgage bonds of
projected and experimental roads, thus
jeopardizing the safety of the funds.
On February 7th, 1870, bill No. 1876,
"An Act to authorize railroad compan-
les to lease or become lessees, and to
make contracts with other railroad
companies, corporations and parties"
was introduced and referred to the
Committee on Railroads. This bill
was intended to build up a railway
monopoly and enable railroad compan-
les, through lack of competition, to eX-
act enormous freight tariffs, and may
be considered the foundation of the
freight determinations On the 9th of
February the bill was reported to the
House. On the 10th it passed through
its several readings and was adopted,
Mr.. A. H. Dill voting for it at every
stage.
-One hundred new Fall Samnles