The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-10-09
FINANCIAL.
FINANCIAL.
Atchison, Topeka & Santa
Fe R. R. Co.,
NO. So MILK STREET.

BOSTON, October 8, 1894.
TO THE SHAREH OLDERs:
Your directors, by their circular of Sep
temoer i4th, have requested your proxies tor
use at the Annual Meeting OF the Share
holders, to be held at Topeka On the 18th of
October. In renewing this request, they
respectfully call your attention TO the toi-
lowing facts and considerations:
NO one of the ten new members of our
present Board has had the slightest con-
ntetion with. or responsibility for, the mis-
taxes ana mistortunes of the previous man
agementS of the Company's affairs. state
ment mas been published to the effect that
the new members are merely substitutes
for the retiring parties. This state ment is
an unqualified talsehood, and at the coming
election, should proxies in controlling nun
pers pc sent TO the present board, the lat
interest of the shareholders notably by tine
election OF a strongly representative man
10 succeed Mr.. Alden Speare, who declines
reelection. The duty OF your present board
Is 10 endeavor to overcome future Difficult
ties IN the way of preserving and enhanc-
ing the present value OF the company's
property.
The chief of these difficulties now con-
fronting your Directors and their succ essors
1of the coming year is not the operation OF
tne railway system flor that is exclusively
Inc Work OF tie Recelyers), but the proper
representation of the shareholders in the
work OF putting The affairs of the Company
on sound hns ncial basis. Unless this work
Is properly zone the real value of your
shares cannot be preserved. 10 postpone.
SO long as may be practicable, the sale OF
the property of the Company under lore
closure, and to bring about the speedy
acceptance by all concerned of fair plan
OF reorganization are the most important
tasks now demanding the attention of your
directors.
No Board or other agency can do this
WORK successfully unless 1t has access to all
the important facts and all the valuable
estimates ana opinions, unless it can tell
clearly what is tair and practica BILE reor-
ganlzatlon plan in the shareholders in
lefest; unless it has force enough to III esent
its views effectively TO the many persons
anu parties III authority: unless 1t can COM
mand the assent of the bondholders to the
sacrlhces they ought to make: and unless
! y can furnish, or cause TO be furnished,
the financial aid that must be forthcouin sr
IN support OF those shaI eholders who can
not OF Will not bear their proper proper
tlons Of the unavoidable burden.
The undersigned are glad to be able to
assure you that there ale at the present
time no asce1 tanned facts bearing on the
question pending, of which your Directo rs
are not in possession. 10 what is already
known will be added the results Of the ex
tended and minute examination OF the Com
pany's accounts made by Mr.. stephen
Little. the thorough Inspection of the
physical property of the company by Mr..
Robert Moore, and the careful stimates
and opinions of the most Competent persons
connected with or familiar with the conf
This ample basis of information will be de-
termined the attitude of your board towards
the problems of re orga n1zation; and OF such
information full abstracts will be furnished
to the shareholders. our Directors will
supplement their already abundant means
and experience with every form of assist
ance obtainable, and no step will be left
untaken that may the better enable them
to act promptly and wisely.
EDWARD j. BERWIND.
JAMES Al. BLAIR,
WILLIAM L. BULL,
Is. p. CHENEY, Jh.,
THOMAS +. FOWLER,
G. S. GLEED,
G. K. HOLIDAY,
SAMUEL G. LAWRENCE,
JOHN A. MCCALL.
GEORGE A. MCPHERSON,
l.. SEVERY,
ALDEN SPEARE,
f. X. STURGIS,
Board of Directors.
oct9&llincol