The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-05-24

showed. il is alleged. that eleven Of
tp1arn were behind with the com
many. IT is true that agents have not
been required TO comply with the usu-
al rigid but proper rules of settlement
obtaining in railroad practice. but we
do not find that eleven agents are
or were short as that term IS usually
understood. Claims in course or ad-
iustment and various small items of
credit to which agents are entitled are
often carried in accounts unsettled
for long periods. and when checked up
All agents would appear short unIl
these items were adJudicated ana cred
tied 1t appears that only one agent
was really short in accounts 10 Such
an extent that settlement could not De
made promptly when the amounts uue
were ascertained. We are not dlsposed
to defend this one case OF shortage
but do wish to correct the impression
that a large number of agents We're
or are behind in their accounts. IN
addition to the one case of shortage
above noted, which amounts TO
$473.56. we find that the agent at
New Bern has been carrying in his
accounts large sum due by com
pany in New Bern, for freights on
lumber. the lumber having been de-
liVered. This amount exceeds $4,OOO,
and represents not only the Atlantlc
and North Carolina Railroads freight
on the material. but quite a large por-
ton of the amount was paid in cash
by the company to other lines for
freight accruing up to the Atlantic ~
North Carolina Railroad track. 1t is
shown that this credit was extended
by order of the President and with the
knowledge of some or all of the direc-
tors In view of the fact that the
railroad company is not in position to
become a money-lender, but, on the
contrary. is on the other side of the
money market, carrying considerable
interest bearing loans itself, we do not
believe this state of affairs should
have been allowed.
Charge That Freight Was Hauled
Without Eeing Billed.
It appears from evidence offered to
sustain this charge that it refers to
the brick and other materials hauled
for Mr.. Bryan and used by him in n
block of stores he built in New Bern
last year and. second, that the man
ner of collecting freight on logs hauled
for various lumber companies
loose and careless. and that n =
amounts were not collected. In Z
ence to the first specification it app
from the testimony of Mr.. Bryan So
ported by that of Mr. Davis, the Ne
Bern agent, that freight on the mat
rial used in the building referred tCN
was collected and. paid at the pub
lished rate, and the same rate paid by
other parties for like service. This
stands uncontradicted and is entitled
to full acceptance.
With reference to the collection for
hauling logs it appears that the
freight charged is based upon log
measure, at so much per thousand
feet. The log business of the Atlantic
x North Carolina Railroad is very
considerable. The collections on this
account last year amounted to $4,000
in round numbers, and it would be
impossible doing business of this
magnitude to scale every log and thus
arrive at the number of feet hauled.
So, the logs upon each car were meas
ured for q considerable time and an
average car thus established. The
charge for hauling these logs was
based upon the average so found. 1t
is shown that the consignee kept ac-
count of the number of cars moved
each week. and settled at so much pee
car Contents estimated as before ex-
plained), and that these settlements
were made weekly direct to Mr. s. L.
Dill, superintendent. In the light of
the difficulty of aScertafning the eX-
act number of feet hauled, we do not
see how the amount could have been
more accurately arrived at in any 9TH
er way than by the method adopted.
We examined these loaded cars and
we believe that the average load
agreed upon to-wit: two thousand
feet is d just and fair estimate. We
have no doubt that the three or four
Consignees whose names are brought
out in the evidence. and for whom
these logs were hauled, are honorable
and honest men, and that they would
properly and promptly account and
pay for the full amount shown by their
record to have been received But.
unfortunately. these gentlemen are not
differently situated from other bust
ness men in that the details of the
large business they do must of neces-
sity be entrusted to employees. The
railroad company had agents at the
points to which these logs were haul
ed, and we have been able to find no
reason why settlement for this move
ment should not have been had be-
tween the lumber company and the
agent who was on the spot and is
bonded officer, instead of accounting
to and settling with the Superntend-
ent, who is not a financial officer OF
Continued on Eleventh Page.)