Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-08-03


Paid on acct. back dividends. So
Pald Tor land In Brandon. ............... $500
j. NJ. Haven, deficiency Tin cash only).. 1921 .
Cash on hand. .....,.....,............... 1II3 4
sj65 $50 3
Rutland, July 80, 1853. certify that the abov
balance sheet, taken from the books OF the Rulan
Railroad company, and the statement OF receipt
and expenditures for the year ending the Both ia,
OF June last, are correct and that have eXamin
ed all vouchers for the disbursements during tn
same year. and IND them to be in proper form.
RODNEY McLArGnLls,
Special Auditor.
Page VS.. Clements.
The Messrs. Clement on the day of the an
nual meeting of the company issued cir
cular in which they denied the rumor thai
they were acting as agents of the Contra
Vermont, that they knew the stock they pur
chased of Haven was spurious, and that they
desired to get control of the road in order to
reimburse themselves for that stock. They
also say: Governor Page tells story,
which Clement & Sons hereby pronounce as
false in almost every substantial particular
in respect to the mode and terms of an at.
tempted adjustment. They deny that they
have violated in any way any understanding
with Governor Page, or any other person OF
party in this matter Governor Page early,
and sometime before the defalcation in the
cash was discovered, cndeavored to obtain Il
personal compromise with Clement & Sons.
He aiterward failed to observe the condi-
tons of the proposed arrangement and this,
of course, made an end of the whole matter.
Another matter which has served TO give
Gov. Page some appearance of vindication
in the eyes of his friends, is that of the al
legged pass-book of the company with Gov.
Pages bank. He attempts TO dispose of this
damaging transaction on page II of the same
circular. Mr.. Wilbur has since said that the
book described by Gov. Page is not the enc
exhibited by Gov. Page to him, and that the
latter book was precisely as he described it in
his affidavit This bold attempt which it
was absolutely imperative that Gov. Page
should make in some form to discrcdt Mr..
Wilbur in the minds Of the stockholders and
OF the public, loses much of its force when
compared with the dispassionate and cautious
statement made by Mr.. Wilbur in his aiilda-
Wit. The question is one of comparative
veracity, and by those who do not know one
or both OF the men concerned, must be deter
mined in the light of comparative motive.
Mr.. Wilbur declines to enter into personal
controversy with man who, he says, has
tried TO bride him TO make false report. 1t
is certainly matter of great concern that
this transaction in respect to the pass-book
indicating as 1t Enthusiastically does that the
book would not at the time answer the eX-
igcncy of the examination, should be fully
brought to light, as well as various other un-
explained transactions.
at is certain, that whether Gov. Page be
regarded as directly or indirectly responsible
for the present extraordinary condition of
the affairs OF the company, his management
and relations should be the subject matter of
investigation by board acting entirely indie
pendent OF his personal and official inllu-
cncc"
Gov. Pages Reply.
The Messrs. Clements circular
statesl that Clement & Sons are not acting
as 'agcnts" of the Central Vermont; that
the pass book now held by the company is
not the one shown to Mr.. Wilbur and that
Mr.. Ravens irregularities have occurred un-
der the present board.
l. In my former statement spoke of the
'studiously concealed but obvious relations
between Clement Il Sons and parties hostile
to the Rutland Railroad company. The tele-
grams produced very strongly corroborated
my suggestion. Mr.. Dubois cautiously says
that he don't know anything about the mat
ter mentioned" viz: whether "Clement &
Sons are the agents of Gov. Smith and the
Central Vermont" / have charged no such
agency" If he had been inquired Of con-
corning the results Of the conference at the
Bates House, May 80, between members of
the Clement party and Messrs. Dubois and
Nichols, he could no doubt have furnished
some useful information. Mr.. Nichols says
that "Gov. Smith will make full and en-
phatic denial" but he does not deny for him.
self, and it would be difficult for him to do
80 after his thousand mile journey for a
Clement proxy (snce revoked). Governor
Smith himself says that Clemen: & Sons are
not acting as his "agents." 1t is not GUS
tomary for Gov. Smith to be informed as 10
details when ignorance is more prudent But
when clerical help is drawn by the Clements
from the office of b. p. Cheney, one of the
Central Vermont directors, when they trans.
fer stock TO u gentleman intimately connect
ed with that company and announce him as
candidate for dictatorship when they
mold secret consultations with Central Yer.
mont officials and have their active aid in OBJ
tanning votes, and when other like evidence
accumulates daily. feel that l am amply
justified in characterizing their relations as
obvious though studiously concealed. And
the fact of the denial, as well as its manner
both strongly confirm the existence of the
''secret tic" But l never supposed thai
Clement d Sons held u power of attorney 10
act as Gov. Smiths "agent."
Tie Central Vermont no doubt strongly de-
sres to overturn the present management OF
the Rutland, and obtain footing therein fol
themselves, and they have a perfect right tC
do SO IL they can. Its management had nc
occasion to pursue secret methods to obtair
that end, except the knowledge that such
result would be extremely distasteful to hold
crs OF Rutland securities. Their Interests
are necessarily foreign and adverse. 1t woult
| be sorry day for our road and its interests
and the communities along its line, SHOULD
they succeed. My only surprise has beef
that they have allowed the unders,andin,
between them and Clement u Sons to becom
80 apparent.
2. The persistent renewal OF the charg
about the pass.b book is simply outrageous
This book is at your service, II is the on
presented to Mr.. Wilbur, and is marke,
| "E. +. c." by Mr. Wilbur's assistant L.
Cutler. 1t covers nearly two years time
and there never was any other pass boo
that represented or purported to represen
business between the company and the ban
for that period or any part of it, annex
statement signed by all the clerks employee
in the bank.
3. The books and accounts of the compan
have been overhauled in the most thoroug
way by a perfectly independent, competer
and trustworthy accountant, Mr.. McLaugt
lin. His report will be laid before you
The management needs no "vindicaton.
But II protests against being made the but
of indiscrimnate and reckless charges c
corruption, forgery and peculation, gotte
up by personal enemies, who simply want t
get inside of what they consider goo
thing. The idea that a Clement manag,
ment could be an ''opcn" one has excite
/ universal merriment In Rutland.
In allowing the present system of book
keeping to be maintained, the Directors wei
entitled to rely upon the assurance of III. |
Wilbur In 1879 that the books aud account