Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-03-20
RAILROAD COMMISSION.
Lspecial 70 the REcuRp-UNIoN.I

Especial to the RRcoRD-UNI0S-l
SAN Francisco, March 19sh.-There wss
meeting Of the Board Of Railroad Commits
sioners this afternoon. The object OF the
meeting was to continue the hearing of gen.
erai testimony concerning railroad operation.
The arguments 10 the case Of Richards &
Harrison Va. the Central Pacific Railroad
Company will not he made probably until
some time next week. as all the testimony
taken in short-h has not yet been pre-.
pared by the stenographers. After il is writ
ten out is will be printed and read by the
Commissioners before hearing the argument.
w. E. Brown was called as a witness, and
stated that at present he occupied no official
position in the Central Pacific Railroad Com
pany. He said he was formerly the Secye-
tary and Treasurer of the Contract and FL
nance Company. That ssid corporation wac
formed about the year 1867 and was dis
solved in 1874. The object Of the formation
of the company was to construct the line OF
the Central Pacific road outside of the State.
Woodruff Miller succeeded him as Secretary.
Witness was not in the State at that time.
He did not deliver the books of the company
to him, Did not know what became Of the
books. Never was ordered to destroy them
or take them away.
Witness stated the contract price of build.
ing the Central Pacific Railroad was S43, 900
per nile III CASH anu o,OOO PeE lnuo II stoSh,
al of which was paid. When the Contract
and Finance Company dissolved it was 49,
600, 600 in debt. which debt was assumed by
Huntington, Stanford, Hopkins and Croker.
The actual cost of the Central Pacific, east of
the State line, to the Contract and Finance
Company, was over the contract price to the
extent of the debt mentioned. The contract
for S43, 900 cash and $43, 600 stock included
the building of the road and the entire equip
ment, stations and necessary buildings !;
snow-sheds were not included. They cost
about $50 600. and were built by the Con-
tract and Finance Company. The company
charged OILY for actual labor and materiala,
adding 10 per cent. on the actual cost for
superintendent. The old Oakland wharf
cost about 100000. This was tuilt
in the same manner and by the game
company. Witness judged that the read in
Nevada cost much less than in this State.
The cost of the line from Truckee to Rocklin
was four or five times as much as the cost of
the road in Nevada. The contract price of
the California and Oregon Railroad, which
was also built by the Contract and Finance
Company, was $50, coo in stock and $40, 600
per mile in cash. Witness had hunted for
books of the Contract and Finance Commit
tee, but could not find them. They would
have no value, if found, in determining
the cost OF the road, but would show to
when all the stock dividends were paid.
Witness remembered, however, that all these
dividends were divided equally between the
four capitalists mentioned.
The Secretary read communication re.
ceived under date of March Sth from Palm.
tag & Bernhardt, of HOLSTER. complaining
against the Southern Pacific Railroad Com
pany. The complaint stated that the firm
had been obtaining beer in kegs from Psjare.
distance of twenty-nine miles, for the past
ten years. the railroad company always
Soda-water has also been obtained 10 the
same manner, the charge for the latter being
twenty.six cents per 100 pounds. About the
first of January the road refused to carry
empty kegs and bottles free. but demanded
full ratea. This alleged injustice is the cause
of complaint.
The Beard then adjourned.