The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-19
HUNT|NGTON'S BIG SALARY
1t Is Shown by Documentary
Evidence to Be Nearly
$4,000.
sTANFoRD's SPIRIT INVOKED
One of the Late Senator's Works
Furnishes the Important
Testimony.

Oh no less auCnOrlUy LndH Gue Idto peudIOi
Stanford's sworn testimony, taken in 1887,
it is shown that the testimony of Secretary
Lansing before the Board of Railroad Com
missioners, that c. P. Huntington's salary
is $4,000 a year, was erroneous, and that
his salary really is close to $4,000.
The following letter to Commissioner La
Rue was written by j. NJ. Bassett of Oak
land, and is dated September 8, 1895. 1t is
of a personal but not confidential nature
and reads:
Under date of New York, May II, 1887, the
United States Pacific Railway Commission sub
mitted to Leland Stanford some fifty odd CUES:
tons. These questions came In advance OF
the commission.
Mr. stanford took the questions, Henry Vroo-
man and Jim Brown to Palo Alto, and after
some weeks q work of 267 pages entitled
"AnsWer OF the Central Pacific Railroad Com
pany, submitted by Leland Stanford, president,
at San Francisco, July 90 and %, 1887, to the
comm unication of the United states Paclhc
Railway Com mission" was produced.
This book was thought to be such crusher
OF Congress and the commission that the
Southern Pacific had it printed at its own ex-
penSe, and on July % and %, the commission
being in session at Parlor A, Palace Hotel, San
Francisco, Leland Stanford president OF the
Central Pacific Railroad Company, being duly
sworn offered the book in testimony, which he
proceeded to read.
On page 50 of this book OF sworn testimony,
under the head of Statement OF annual sal
aries amounting to $4,000 or more paid by the
Central Pacific Railroad Company since its
organization to any officer or employe," ap-
pears the following:
C. P. HUNTINGTON, vICE-PREsIDENT, FINAN CIAL
AGENT AND ATTORNEY:
Vice-President, salary and SER
v1ces........-....-...... ............'.@ 900
Financial Agent $4,000
Attorney, salary ..................... 10000
Total annual compens alton. SAT, 500
In the light of subsequent events the South
ern Pacific Company deemed 1t its duty to de-
stroy this testimony of its president wherever
found. and it is perhaps due to Mr.. Lansing to
say that he may never have had the pleasure
of reading the testimony of the late president
of the company OF which he is the accom-
plished secretary. l happen to have a copy
of this book, which may be the only copy OF
the interesting work not reduced to ashes.
When Huntington read this testimony he, for
the hundredth time, applied his pet name OF
"Old Fool" TO Stanford.
In order to show clearly the duplicity
that was practiced by somebody during
the recent investigation, that portion of
the testimony bearing on the question of
Mr.. Huntington's salary is here repro
duced.
On the 4th of September, in answer to
questions as to what compensation Mr..
Huntington received for his services to the
Southern Pacific Company, Secretary Lans-
ing replied
Mr.. Chairman: I think I can make an ex-
PLANTATION OF the salaries of Mr.. Huntington
and the other officers which Will be satisfactory
TO the commission. Mr.. Huntington and his
associates fix their own salaries, probably as
representing the board of directors. The sal
aries were fixed by them practically years ago,
when the company commenced its business.
They controlled the property among five inter-
ests, they fixed their salaries at a certain rate
and il has been maintained since. Huntington
received the same rate as three or four others
who represent the ownership OF the comp any.
His salary is a fixed salary. Now, may say
further the amount of the salaries these gentle
men spoken of, and Mr.. Huntington among
the others, receive is considerably less than
they pay to some of the other officers 1t is not
enough to be considered d fair compensation
for their services if they were employed by
the company. 1t is an amount that is consid-
cred simply as nominal rate. They agreed
upon 1t between themselves, and this has been
running on to my knowledge with the Central
Pacific and Southern Pacific companies for
twenty-five years without change.
Chairman La Rue then asked the ques-
ton, The COMPENSATION is the same as it
was twenty-five years ago?"
Eyes, sir" answered Lansing. "They
fixed it then, and they have several officers
who receive much more each"
Further urging to secure the exact
amount palQ Huntington only ellc1ted a
fat refusal on Lansing's part to state.
But on the 9Th return was made to the
same question, and Secretary Lansing,
with a show of frankness, answered it as
follows:
Mr.. Huntington receives so, 900 a year for
his services for all the lines of the Southern
Pacific Company, including the Pacific and
the Atlantic systems. 1t was merely a per-
sonal consideration that prevented my stating
Mr.. Huntingtons salary, but l have since been
told that he has no objections TO my doing so.
According to the testimony given by
Secretary Lansing three important points
are covered that have a most important
bearing on the letter received by Chairman
La Rue. The salary of $4,000 paid Mr..
Huntington was for his services to all the
companies embraced in the Southern
Pacific Company, not for services to one
or more of the subordinate companies, but
TO all of them and to the parent company.
Nor was this salary paid him for his SER
vices in any one or more particular capa-
cities in connection with the Southern
Pacific Company, but it was paid him for
all his services to the Southern Pacific
Company and to all its adjuncts. Another
point is that such salary was fixed twenty
five years ago and has not since been
changed.
1t will be seen that the letter was not
received by Chairman La Rue until the
hearing before the Railroad Commission
on the question of rate reductions had been
closed, and hence it was not permitted to
cut any figure in that matter and was moi
made public earlier.
A InnAt CHAD nnkEOIur