The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1893-12-22
RECEIVERS STATEMENT.
E. w. Hadley Discusses at
Length the Condition of
the 0. p. r. r.

EDITOR GAZETTE:-The fact that the |
Oregon Pacific railroad is an enterprise so |
close to the interests Of every inhabitant of |
this state and is therefore to large extent |
public property is perhaps sufficient reason |
for this statement. The more so that so |
many i'll founded rumors are rife and the |
public mind so befogged by the colnplica- |
tions that the past few days have brought
forth. The writer will endeavor to state
merely the facts in the briefest manner pos
sible, leaving the public to draw its own con-
| clusions. First: venture to say that no
zone less intimately acquainted with the un-
ending complications-the contending and
inharmonious interests and the physical and
financial entanglements from which the prop
erty has and is suffering can form any idea Of
the difficulties which have met the present
receiver and have rendered his task Of sue
cessfully administering its affairs with justice
to all, most difficult and onerous one. His
efforts sin this direction have been steadily
hampered by the opposition ofthose interests
to whose management the present unfortun-
ate condition of the property is due. Nor
i
culties Of ofkeeping in steady operation for ten
months railroad burdened with over $780,
900 Of local debts-owing its employees for
many months labor-dependent upon the
already overburdened credit of its creditors
for its daily supply of fuel, oil, coal, etc.,
/ and which for only three Of those ten months
has earned within several thousand dollars Of
its expenses. And this difficulty has been
increased fourfold by the fact that the prop
erty had been allowed to run down to the
very lowest ebb and was on the verge Of
physical wreck. The state railroad COM
missioners who had once before threatened
| to close the road ie repairs we're not made
were pressing for further repairs. The pres
ent receiver from past experience knew the
pressing need of such repairs and felt that
he would be untrue to his duty to the public
should he allow the property to be operated
in this condition and untrue to the interests
property should he allow the security tor
their money to further depreciate. These
repairs, however. could be made only on
credit, for when the property was turned
over there were but few hundred dollars in
cash on hand. During the nine months end
ing December l, the present management
has put in track &C, 600 new ties. Only 60, 900
had been put in the eight years previous.
The road has over eight solid miles of
bridging. To make these bridges merely
| safe the receiver has had to expend during
the nine months ending Dec. 1st over $l6,-
600. The company's engines and coaches
were found to be in a most dilapidated con-
dition. No attempt has been made to put
the motive power all in good condition, only
such repairs have been made as were neces-
| sary to put the portion used in good shape.
Over $6, 900 has been expended during the
past nine months on repairs of engines and
coaches. An idea of the condition of the
motive power on March 9th may be gained
by the statement of the master mechanic
whose detailed report OF repairs needed to
put engines in good repair foots up $4,000.
The figures represent only the main items of
repairs. Not to have made them would in
the opinion of the writer have been a most
short sighted policy for the men, for the
property itselfis the security for the amounts
due them-not to have made them would
have been policy Of criminal recklessness,
so far as the public is concerned.
When the present receiver assumed charge
he found the pay rolls ten months in arrears.
1t is believed that the following statement
will be of interest and will refute the slur
that the ''keeper is eating the feed"
rn G