The evening times., 1898-09-13
MONOPOLY AT MoNTAUK.
Long Island Railroad Held Verbal
Contract With Government

The breaking up of Camp Wikoff, at
Montauk Point, will be a blessing 10
all interests. except to the Long Island
Railroad Company. The camp has been
a mint TO this corporation, and the COM
pany is richer by many thousanods of
dollars than it was before Secretary AL
ger selected Montauk as a site for
camp.
1t has been charged that the Long
Island Railroad Company had been Civ
en- an ironclad contract, granting the
road monopoly of all passenger and
freight transportation TO and from Mon
tauk. These charges are denied by Adjt.
Gen. Corbin, who says that many of the
troops have been taken 10 MOntauk by
vessels.
1t may be true that Secretary Alger
did not enter into written contract with
the railroad company 1t probably is true
that such is the case, but il is equally
true that the Long Island Railroad Com
pany had an implied contract, or a YER
bal promise, that it should have a uonOp-
oily of the transportation. Events that
have taken place since the creation of
Camp Wikon have convinced all who
have watched them that the railroad
company has exhibited an independence
of spirit in its dealings with the Gov
crnment. and an Indifference to the re-
quirements Of the troops, which Secre-
tary Alger would not have tolerated if
tho company did not possess some sort of
power 10 enable ii to defy the War De-
partment and the threats of the officers
in camp.
So far as is known Secretary Alger has
never investigated protest against the
conduct of the Long Island Railroad Com
pany or renedied single evil complain
ed Of Why this has been the case will
probably not be known until thorough
investigation of the War Department is
made.
Ii is a fact that when Gen Miles sug-
gested that the Montauk soldiers parade
in New York, and that they be brought
from Camp Wikoff by water because the
railroad did not have facilities for moving
so many troops in one day. the PROPOSE
ton was regarded as an original one. and
II was opposed as not being possible.
IT Is said that New York would have
had parade if the friends of the Long
Island Railroad in the War Department
mad not entered protest, because the
road would lose the profits for trans
portation if vessels were EMPLOYED TO
take the soldiers from Montauk 10 New
Ork.
While, perhaps. the greatest abuses
perpetrated by a corporation at any camp
have been at Camp Wikoff, vet there
are unsavory rumors flying about respect
ing the influences which secured the I0Ca-
ton of other camps, and it is rumored
that the selection of each of these was
determined by railroad lobbyists
The camp scandal Las been Iorg cna
and 1t began with the beginning of the
war. Secretary Alger has been from the
outset familiar with it, and il has been
in bis power to crush il out by showing
the public that the War Department has
been disinterested in the selection of sites
for camps, other than to secure the best
possible locations for the troops. but un-
fortunately the Secretary of War has
done nothing of the kind. and the scan
Gals have been allowed to increase day By
day until now they have become u perfec-
stencil in the public nostrils.