The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-06-19
Especial 10 the Messenger.)

Raleigh. ". c. June 14.-Messrs. Nc
Neill and Rogers. corporation commits
%sioners. when shown Charles Prices
interview. which appeared in this
mornings Messenger, as 10 the railroad
tax assessment cases, stated that the
interview contained several errors.
They say IL is not a fact that the at
torneys for the corporation commission
asked for a delay or made proposals
for a compromise. but. on the contrary.
that neither the commission nor its
attorneys asked for any delay what
ever, but have been nxious 10 have
a speedy trial, and that the commission
has never made or thought OF making
any offer of a compromise. They say
they are informed by their attorneys
that the request for was
made by r. Q. Burton. one Of the at
torneys for the Atlantic Coast Line
and acceded to by their attorneys upon
the idea that the railroads, having
three months, should use the time as
they saw fit; that SO far from asking
for a continuance at the last hearing,
the attorneys for the corporation COM
Z oA liz "a W.
mington TO attend the hearing and
were stopped at Goldsboro by a re-
Ques made by Mr.. Burton for a con-
tinuance; that not since the institu-
ton Of these suits has the corporation
commission asked for a continuance.
These gentlemen further stated that
until they saw in this mornings paper
Mr.. Prices interview the idea had
never occurred to them that they were
expected to submit an offer of ON
promise.
Your correspondent ~endeayored 10
see DR.. Abbott, the other membe Of
the corporation commission, but he was
out of the city.
H. &c. Connor and James H. Pou. of
counsel for corporation commission
stated that they had never heard it
intimated that the commission would
offer a compromise; that they a new
er asked a continuance; that the con-
tinuance of the hearing was granted
at the request of Mr.. Burton, and that
it was consented to with the under
standing that during the three months
that the railroads had to put in their
evidence the railroads had a right TO
control the time, and that they had
no other idea than that the time of this
continuance came out of the three
months allowed TO the railroads. They
stated that Mr.. Price evidently had
not conferred WIFI MI. buIlOH y ne
would not have given out this inter-
view.
John w. Hinsdale, OF counse for
the defendant, said he never had
heard any one suggest that the cor
poration commission would OfTer a
compromise, and that the defendants
had never asked for delay; that he
was at Goldsboro on his way. to Will
mington to attend the hearing in May
when he was stopped by telephone
message from Mr.. Pou, stating. that
Burton had asked for a
thai he only consented to this contin-
uance upon a statement that the rail-
roads having three months only TO
put in their evidence were responsible
for all the time lost; that this continu-
ance was agreed to by the defendants
and by special Master. Judge Shep
herd, at the request of the attorneys
for The railroad and for no other reason
whatever; that having consented un-
der these circumstances to a continu-
ance, he wired Judge Conner not to
come. Judge Conner would have gone
to Wilmington on the night train but
for his wire.