The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1898-07-16
NEwLANDS OPPOSES THE CEN
TRIAL PACIFIC.

Last week the House %concurred IN
the Senate amendment to the general
deficiency bill, providing for the settle
ment of the Pacific railroads question.
The provisions of the amendment are
that a commission, consisting Of the
Secretary of the Treasury, the Secre-
tary of the Interior and the Attorney
General and their successors In Office,
are hereby appointed with full power to
arrange for the settlement OF h in
debtedpess to the Government OF the
Central Pacific and Western Pacific
bond aided railroads, upon such terms
and in such manner as may be agreed
upon by them and the owners of said
railroads. 1t further %stipulates that no
sum less than the full amount OF the
principal and interest shall be agreed
upon and that the entire Indebtedness
must be paid within ten years.
The amendment passed the House
only after a hard fight, winning by a
vote OF 96 to IS. It's principal support
came from eastern members. All OF the
California members but one were OPP
posed to granting further favors to a
corporation which has been guilty of
fraud and extortion ever since it came
into existence. Standing with the Cali
fornia members was Mr.. Newlands,
whose speech against the measure was
q most able exposition of the arguments
against it from the standpoint of a Ne
vadan.
He had no words of criticism re-
garding the alleged methods of Mr..
Huntington and his associates; the pro-
position as to funding did not rest upon
their acts of either commission or omis-
sion, but simply on plain business prin-
ciples. The Government was the cred
itor of the Central Pacific Railroad and
the question vas whether 1t should en-
deavor to realize its debt in cash by
foreclosure and sale, as in the case Of
the Union Pacific, or should give an
extent IN OF time.
Mr.. Newlands said that at one time
he believed the litter was the only
method of arranging the debt, but oil
late years he had become convinced
that the payment of the debt could be
best secured by the former, and at the
same time the business interests of Me-
vada and California served by turning
this road over to purchasers who would
run it as a competitor, not an alley, OF
the Southern Pacific.
Nevada's grievance was that the con
trollers of the Central Pacific had for
years acted as if they did not expect to
own the road, and hence had not taken
any interest in the development of that
State. Another grievance was that in
making charges for freight from Ogden
to points in Nevada the through rate to
Sacramento was charged and then the
local rate back to the intermediate
point. 1t was felt throughout Nevada
that they would fare better if the road
was in the hands of a rival line or the
Government.
EdSb was Vic Oi1On L dClllts TcCCubl1
reorganized by a strong syndicate de-
sirous of extending west; the Chicago,
Burlington and Quincy was also halt
ing at Salt Lake, determined in the end
to secure an outlet on the Pacific coast.
AT the foreclosure sale these two COM
panies would likely become competitive
bidders. II the Union Pacific or the
Burlington people or the Valley Road
people bid the highest they would get
the road. In either case the Govern
ment would get its money, and there
was a chance at least that the people of
Nevada and California would get a COM
petitive road.
For these reasons he opposed the
funding bill, which would simply post
pone the time of payment and adjust
ment of the question Of transportation
30 important to Nevada and California.
From the above it is plainly evident
that Mr.. Newlands is not one of the
paid attorneys Of the Central Pacific
railroad. Had he been, he would not
have voted, much less opposed d meas
ure 30 plainly to the advantage Of the
railroad and which will only rivet the
tighter the shackles with which the in
dustries OF this State and California are
bound. The question persistently pre-
sents itself to our mind. "What were
Nevada's Senators doing when the
amendment passed the Senate?" We
have looked in vain for a word from
either OF them in opposition to the
measure. In fact, we have a very
strong suspicion that they either alb
sented themselves from the Senate, or
voted in favor of the railroad. Behold,
ye people, your ''Grand Old Men" from
Nevada.
After spending $50, 900 of the stock
holders money, Mr.. Brice, the Chicago