The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-07-28
extravaganza
Reckless Expenditure of
State Funds.
THOROUGH INVESTIGATION

11CA9 Ehs0C-cW0sc
Disclosures Beiux Madc-The Tor.
porauon Cemmisston Takes Up Sevs
eral Complaints AGapSss ssaiiroads.
Depot t Maxson Ordered.
Especial TO the Mcssenger.)
Raleigh, n. c.. July 25.-The oorpor-
alton commission today disposed OF the
complaint of NJ. l. Coble. OF Reidsville.
that there was no Jim Crow" car ON
train No. Sc OF the Southern railway.
The Southern railway showed that this
was a through train. stopping al very
few stations and not required to have
a Jim Crow" car.
The commission decided TO asses the
Pullman cars for taxation and al $780,
S32.
The cases as 10 back taxes heard this
morning are continued until next Fri
day.
The commission ordered that a joint
passenger and freigh. depot be built by
the Seaboard Air Line and Atlantic
Coast Line at Maxton within sixty days
from date.
James b. Martin. general auditor Of
the Seaboard Air Line, who had been
summoned TO show the division earn
/, ings Of the Carolina Central and other
divisions of the Seaboard Air Line In
North Carolina, appeared and filed the
statement desired.
John Boyd kimball appeared as q
representative OF the Charlotte oil mills
regarding freight rate on cotton seed
in North Carolina, and urged the COM
mission to require the Seaboard Air
Line to issue a printed rate list such
as the Southern railway issues, and also
TO order the Seaboard Air Line 10 re-
duce its rates 10 per cent. The COM
mission took the complaint and request
under ~advisement.
The examination OF j. l.. Ramsay
by the legislative committee was long
and interesting. The committee had
discovered from the banks that between
June 18th last year and June 18th this
year the inspection Of fertilizers cost
$15,794, while during the previous
twelve months it had cost only s5,344.
Effort was made to get Ramsay to ex-
plain why there was such a p~rodigious
increase-over 10000. He said he
thought it vas necessary in order TO
collect taxes and police the state pro-
perly, and that as a result there was
a large increase in the taxes, but when
he was shown that the collections were
only $4,000 more than during the pre-
vious twelve months he admitted that
some of the extra expenditure was IN
necessary.
The examination OF the fusionist
books show that on October 10th last
the board Of agriculture Appropriated
$4,000 for fertilizer inspection, on De-
cember 10th 81, 1000, on January LIST ST.
600, on April 9th $4,000 and that 1t
spent. as stated, SIS, 1874. The majority
Of all this great sum was spent after
December 14th, that is, after the fu-
sionists knew h result Of the political
election n their complete overthrow.
They were pulling the agricultural de-
partTnent a. a pig would a teat.
The committee will go back further
in its investigation. 1t will ask the
democratic commissioner if there was
any necessity for spending this great
amount Of money.
The committee has a formidable ar
ray Of vouches which show how the
expense account was run up. They find
that members Of the board resident In
Raleigh actually drew 81 a day for
board while the board Of agriculture
vas IN session and that one OF these
was a salaried officer. They find that
j. c. L.. Harris, chairman OF the board
was paid $50 for preparing its report
to the legislature and a like sum as
chairman Of the legislative committee.
The committee also finds that Harris
got 5000 for one speech before the
United States supreme court on the fer
tilizer case and that he got also $3.50
annually as counsel fee. Then he got
81 per diem pay and 81 per diem ex-
penses for each day Of meeting. Be
sides these, 1t Seems he got $50 for
three trips TO Washington regarding
the sending OF the bulletin free through
the mails
G. VI. Busbee and F. Fl. Busbee, who
we're attorneys OF the democratic board
were on the witness stand. They got
$3.50 annually as fees. They prepared
all the briefs in the fertilizer tax cases.
Harris had only 10 make a speech.
An interesting lot Of vouchers is that
OF ]. c. Ray. member Of the boad OF
agriculture from Watagua. He filed
vouchers for $3.50 each way for trans
portation to and from the railway. and
10 have him here cost the state 5000.
w. A. Graham got mileage for G32
miles. 1t cost 5000 to have him here
two days.
Today Robert c. Strong. attorney for
the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany. asked the corporation commits
sion TO reduce the ASSESSMENT OF that
company's property from $l,00G, 0 60
$500. 900. He said il would be willing
TO pay more taxes than 1t thought IL
should pay, in order TO have no litiga-
ton. Strong says that after the cor