The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-01-18

Inc lreighl was prepaid ny me FeluiiZel
Company"
you had nothing 10 60 with the freight"
mo Sir"
"You bought the fertilizer here?"
Il Just told TEN TO sh p and the regula
rates were paid?'
There was no understanding about the
freight"
"No Sir"
Mr.. Wilson stated that during the
summer the Southern Railway transport
ed for him to Round Knob a pair Of
horses. wagon and harness, charging him
one fare for the round trip. These round
trip rates, freight and passenger, Mr..
Wilson said, were made by the roads
themselves under the general terms of
the law and had not been considered by
the Commission as a discrimination.
Has the Pullman Palace Can Com
pany carried you at reduced rates or
free:"
"When I was elected Commissioners
they rendered me passes. | declined
them until the first of April last, when
the additional duties of the Board Of
Equalization we're given, with a 5000
appropriation to pay the expenses of the
Board with a $1,000 clerk. The Com
mission has $4,000 allowed for expenses.
In a consultation with Gov. Russell /
asked him how we should meet expenses.
He advised me to use a pass; said he used
one himself, and all his family and guests at
the Mansion, never used a pass except at the
earnest request Of Gov. Russell, il order TO
save expenses Ny total expenses charged 70
the State since thpn hive been Sc 65, with ten
cents due me yet"
II always opposed The free pass SYSTEM and
when, at the solicitation Of GOV. Russell, cid
60 50, did it il order to save expenses. he
said he did it; got express dead head, &c,
and at his earnest request accepted passes
from that time against my judgment TO save
money"
Il give you a list of the passes that |
have had: Raleigh and Western, an
nual pass for 1897, No. 60; Pullman an
nuaI, No. 12S; Seaboard Air Line \
1920; Atlantic and North Carolina, No.
1876; Atlantic Coast Line, No. 1860:
Southern Railway, B, 1915; Chester and
Lenoir, No. Il; Cape Fear and Yadkin
Valley, No. 732; Atlantic Knoxville and
Northern, No. 80. That is all as far as
| nave any recollection"
He said he had only used the Chester
and Lenoir, the Southern, Atlantic Coast
Line, Seaboard and Pullman passes. He
SAID that he had one for 1898, on the
Southern only.
He denied that either he or his mother
had been given any special rates on
provisions or other articles sent from
AsheviIIe. But he acknowledged get
ting a special rate from Raleigh to
R0un1 Knob on his fupniturp
DR.. Abbott-"Do railroads, as a rule,
give hotels along their line special
rates.
I understand they do where a hotel
is opened on their line. especially if it
is Il railroad eating house. But this
was never done for the Round Knob
Hotel"
Chairman CaIdweIl-"Mr. Wilson,
who made application for reduced rates
on your gOods?'
4 did. 1t was made to Mr.. Munson,
the division freight agent"
Did Maj. Jas. ". Wilson make APP
plication to anybody for the same
thing:'
Not to my knowledge"
Mr.. pearson-'Did Mr.. Munson give
sou an immediate reply to your appll-
cation:'
I think So"
Or. Albott-'Did You have any rea-
son to expect hat these rates would be
granted:"
- did. understood that such rates
half rates-Were given on goods and
baggage sent up for people going to the
mountains ana seacoast for the sum
mer.
Nr. Pearson-"What was the amount
of the freight bill:'
about $40. | have since been told
that it was customary to transport goods
free for fitting up hotels on their line.
This was not done for my mother.
Il stated this morning that had not
used any passes prior to the first of last
April. There are two exceptions to this
statement. / have been using one all
the time on the Atlantic and North Caro-
lima railroad, and | used Il 1000 mile
ticket on the Seaboard. / only used
GOO miles Of this before l got an annual
pass"
At the beginning OF the afternoon ses-
sion, and before Mr.. Wilson had finish
ed his testimony, Governor Russell APP
peared and asked to be sworn; that he
might make a statement touching Mr..
Wilson's testimony during the morning.
He said:
Il want to state to the Commission
that | understand that Mr.. S. Ohio Viii
son has stated that he consulted with
the Governor as to taking passes from
the railroads for himself and other
commissioners and that the Governor
advised him to take the passes. This
statement is true. He stated to me
that the railroads had been in the habit
of giving passes to the Commissioners
and that they We're willing to do so il
the future, and that by their taking
:, passes the State would save about So.
coo, that is. that there was an appro-
priation Of $4,000 to pay the expense
OF the Railroad Commission, and that
these expense were mostly in travelling
over the railroads, and to accept passes
the State was saved the bulk of this