The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1898-01-20
THE freight was prepaid by the
Fertilizer Compauy.s,

"The freight Was prepaid by the
Fertilizer Company"
State whether or not the Pullman
Palace Car Company carried you at
reduced rates or free transportionf
/ will say to the Commission in
this connection that from the time !
was elected Commissioner passes
were rendered me. declined them
until the first Of April last, when the
additional duties OF the Board Of
Equalizat alton were given, with . six
hundred dollar appropriation to pay
the expenses Of the Board, with q
thousand dollar clerk. The Com
mission has two thousand dollars al
lowed for expenses. In a consulta-
tion with Governor Russell, asked
him how We would meet expenses.
He advised me to use a pass. He
said he used one himself, and all his
family including the guests at the
Mansion. / never used pass y cept
at the earnest request of Governor
Russell, IN order to save expenses.
My total expenses charged t. the
State have been $9.G5, with ten ceuts
due me yet.
l always opposed the free pass
system, and when at the solicitation
of Governor Russell l did do so, l
did it in order to save expenses. He
said he did it, got express dead-head,
etc., and at his earnest request / ac-
cepted passes from that time, against
my Judgment to save money.
| Wilson than novn Eof IF
passes furnished by the railroads.
These are passes for 1872
Yes, sir.
Will you furnish me with a list
you have received for 1895. Have
you one for this year from the Pull
man Company
No, sir, | have none from the
Pullman Company for 1893. l do
not ride on pass as Railroad Com
missioner but as the Hayseeder
publisher. l have received but one
pass this year as the editor of that
paper. l have received one as Rail-
road Commissioner about the time
the matter was before the Court,
and that has not been used. A
letter received at the same time
stated that, owing to the muddle in
which the Commission was, they
did not know to whom the pass
Shouts be sent, stating also that pass
was sent to you gentlemen.
Commissioner Abbott: In speaking
of those tourist rates on household
goods, do you know whether the
railroads, since you have been a
member of the Commission, have
granted any special rates where
hotels were being opened as a sum-
mer resort.
/ have been told by railroad men
they did. That did not apply to my
furniture. [ understand that they
transport goods free in such cases,
but it was not done in the case of my
goods. l have been so informed by
railroad men.
| l have been informed that it had
been done
l understand it is done on all
roads where hotel is opened on
their lines or stop for meals are
made, but it was not done for the
Round Knob hotel.
j Free supplies
| Yes, sir. That was never done to
my knowledge at Round Knob hotel.
While l was there l did what could
to help my mother, and l think l am
in a position to know something
about what was done there
/ Mr.. Wilson: l would like to ask
, Cf it is pertinent question: wheth-
er or not this Commission considers
the use of pass for advertising
, sch edules in newspaper contrary
to the actq
Chairman Caldwell: We have not
considered the act yet. 1t is under
advisement now, right on that
J point. There Is some difference be-
tween the Commissioners as to that.
In regard to the illegality of using
, passes, have taken a very active
, part in trying to get an anti-free pass
J bill passed, and a good part of the
session was spent in trying to pass
, an anti-free pass bill. On February
last l told George Butler that if the
case was brought up l should at
D least take the stand that they were
8 under the act of Railroad Commis.
3 sion, not legal.
$ Mr.. Wilson asked that his state.
ment at the beginning be amended
t to read as follows:
t l give evidence in these matters
under protest, as there is litigation
over the Office of Railroad Commits
sioners pending in the courts, and
: am denying your rights to seats you
holA. nd e,,~thn~ $nc
give might pref udice my case now in
the courts.
AT the afternoon session Governor
q Russell appeared before Board anc
u asked to be sworn that he nigh
q make a statement touching Mr.
Wilson's testimony during tht
morning. He said:
Il II want to state to the Commission
j. that l understand that Mr.. s. 9th,
Wilson has stated that he consulted
with the Governor, as to takin(
II passes from the railroads him
r self and other Commissioners, an,
n that the Governor advised him t
l. take the passes. This statement i
# true. He stated to me that the rail
d roads had been in the habit of Civ
10 ing passes to the Commissioners
d and that they were willing to do S
& in the future, and that by their tai
ing passes the State would say
f. about 50 600, that is, that there wa
id an appropriation of $1,000 to pa
the expenses of the Railroad Con
r. mission, and that these expense
;" were mostly in travelling over tn
Or railroads, and to accept passes th
State was saved the bulk of this Q,
or penses. l told him that if the raj
OF roads were willing to bear this e,
Or pense by granting passes, saw n
or objection to their accepting then
'ir That is all.
Afte this Mr.. Wilson COZ