Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-01-06
TIE MINORITY REPORGr.

The minority report submitted by
Robert h. PattisOn, chairman, differs
somewhat as to conclusions and en-
tirely as to the method of adjusting the
differences with tho railroad companies.
The following extracts will serve to indi-
cate PattIsoR's chief points: The
construction companies or inside
combinations that built five or six roads
have concealed or destroyed their books,
the exception being the Central branch,
and the commission has been embarrassed
In its worK by the refusal Or failure OF
the companies TO produce accounts relat
ing to the actual cost of construction or
to exhibit any paper or document that
would enable the commission to ascertain
the truth as to this most important factor
in investigation. From the minutes
and accounts of railroad companies ard
from the fTagmentaTy information gath
cred from various sources it is disclosed
that the officers of at least three of these
companies made false statements under
oath in the aftidavits nov on file in the
interior department. The managers were
active trustees of the national highway,
and they cannot plead any law
ful justification for making the false
attidavits, in which they state that $685..
$4,000 of stock was actually paid for,
when in fact less than two millions had
been SO paid for. Mr.. Huntington testi,
fed before the commission that "COm.
petition is killing" and that there ought
to be only one railroad for the whole
country. They combined with others
TO TAX COMMUNITIES
which they served, and they forced the
consuming classes IN all sections of the
country to the payment of interest and
dividends on fcticous capital, which
they had created They increased the
cost of living; they laid propriety claim
TO traffic of the large sections of the
country. They squaudered millions os
their money TO protect" their territorial
claims while expendlng other millions in
encroachment upon territory claimed by
other CON panies. They constituted
themselves the aroiters of the trade.
They attempted to dictate the chan
n-ls which the trade must follow ana
fixed rates of trans pOrtation that were
oxtortiOnate. They charged all that the
traffic would bear, aud appropriated a
share of the profits OF every industry by
charging the greater part of the differ
ences between the actual cost of prOduc-
ton and the price of she article in the
market.
THEY DIsCBTTINATED
between individuals, between localities
and between articles. They partici Dated
IN election contests. aud it is charged
they even attempted to influence The
courts and juries by the granting of free
transportation. By secret cuts and
violent and rapid fluctuations IN rates obey
menaced business, paral yzed capital and
retarded Investment and development.
During the five years from 1864 10 1869
upon proof that their roads were fully
completed, these companies obtained
bonds from the government, but when
the government called upon them to pay
percentage of their net earnings int
the treasury as was stipulated in
the original contract, they contended
that their roads were not com pleted till
1859 and refused to make any payments
to the government though one of them,
the Central Pacific had been declaring
dividends in the meantime. They resisted
the claims and demands of the govern
ment at every point, and resorted to
every device their ingenuity could invent
in their efforts to
WADE THE PLAIN REQUIREMENTS OF LAW.
In the transportation of troops and
supplies for the government they violated
the contract obligation to charge reason
able rates, by charging more than they
charged to private shippers for the same
kind of service. The reports Of the
Union Pacific show that the average
rates paid by the government to that
corporation were higher than those re-
ceived by that company from other
sources. The same Is more or less true
Of other bond aided com panies. The
balance sheet of the Central Pacific for
1856, should have shown q deficit of
over $14,O0O,OO0 in the profit and
loss account, but by emitting
from the debit aide the accumulated in
tersst which the government had advanc-
ed amounting to S3I,869,475 20. and by
making up its lands IN the assets column
70 S23,5o0,o0O, when the actual value was
Sl2,5UU,Oo0, as appears from the testi-
mony OF the coDpsny's land agent, the
com Pauy made q showing of an apparent
surplus of over SIS, 100000. Had the
Pacific railroads been built and man
aged