The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-05-24
COMMITTEE FINDS
NO CORRUPTION
The Report Gives No Warrant For the Appoint
ment of Receiver, and Recommends
Lease, Properly Safeguarded.

of the drastic measure -, .,coeivar-
sh'o.
The Report of the Committee.
The full report Of the committee is
as follows:
10 His Exceilency. the Governor Hon.
orable Charles h. Aycoc
Slr:-ln compliance with your COM
mission we beg To report that we have
made thorough examination of the
physical properties of the Atlantic and
North Carolina railroad. We also made
Such inquiry and examinations with
the ana of expert accountants, Of the
DOCKS and accounts as the limited time
would allow. We inquired especially
| INTO the charges of mismanag Ament
Wnch nave been recently maie al q
sought upon our own initiative AMI by
every means within our power 10 in
form ourselves upon all matters touch
ing the manner and methods ot doing
business, the circumstances come .ted
with the operation of the property its
relations to the people and tn. section
or the State served by it In the OK
ANIMATION OF witnesses we had the
advantage of having Mr. w. w. CIn 4 -.
counsel for Captain McBee, former re-
celver, with US, and he occupied the
position OF prosecutor in seeking to es-
tablish the charges against the man
aSement. His appearance was allowed
upon his own written request ana ell
abled US to investigate the matters
referred to much more fully THAI we
could have done without his pres
ence.
1t is shown by the reports of Pres-
dent Bryan that during the -four ,eals
| of his incumbency the road has earned
above operating expenses ana fixed
charges the sum of $251,727.56 1t
appears that it has also borrowed $sb,-
10000. OF this sum $27,00O.00 has
been repaid from earnings, LEAVING
SIS, 100000 still unpaid. We add also
the net earnings for the nine moI: las
from July LIST, 1903. to March 3lst.
1904, as shown by examination OF :he
auditor and treasurer, to-wit: $4i
772.C6. Adding these two amounts TO
the apparent net earnings for 1cr'
years as shown above, it would seem
that there has been about 1924 1882
available within four years and nine
months for permanent improvements
or extraordinary betterments. We are
of the opinion however that many
items have been charged up to ex-
traordinary improvements which
should have been included in operating
expenses and renewals instead. TO as
certain the exact amount of such ex-
penditures would require a tedious and
expensive examination of the Looks
and accounts. Indeed. we doubt if
these expenditures could be properly
placed now by even such examina-
ton. owing to the crude and very n
satisfactory system of keeping &C.
counts in use. Very considerable bet
terments and improvements over COM
ditions prevailing four years .go
should have been effected ~ TN" eX
penditure of so large sum of ih"heS.
We find that the service has teen
greatly improved within she period
covered by Mr.. Bryan's administration.
The train service has been doubled;
the road-bed greatly impro"el ond
the facilities for hal Fms the usi-
ness of the road ut s;;t' iors and Ghors
very much improved. We are of hc
opinion that much Of this money has
been wisely spent, but some OF IL has
also been injudiciously used, i'm some
cases approaching downright eXtraVa-
gance.
We wish to mention some of these
expenditures of both classes in detail.
-Four years ago the passenger cars III
use upon the road were antlquated, UNI
comfortable and insufficient in num-
Der. New cars have been bought and
built and the old ones renovated ana
repaired, so that at this time they
seem to be adequate for the passenger
been purchased and the old ones re-
paired and kept in excellent condition.
If the new locomotives had been
freight engines of the ten-wheel type
with lower driving wheels, instead OF
passenger engines, they would have
added much more to the efficiency OF
the motive power of the company and
we believe 1t was Il mistake 90 l'uf-
chase passenger engines at this tine.
in view of the fact that every enfine
owned by the company was OF tnat
type. The freight engines would have
been more serviceable and the new
ones were needed and are in use in the
freight service.
The money spent in ditching and
draining the right of way has zen
well spent. and this work has been
| very considerable. Alongside the tack
Tor many miles large ditcaes have
been opened to provide drainage Ter
the road-bed, and in at least t"o iora
tlons canals straight away from the
track. perhaps mile in length. W."
cut to provide outlets for The flow
! OF water 1t is our opinion 'aat tt's
work was imperatively needed and
4 that II has been we'll done.
| Inc new shops at New Fern, with
| the equipment which has bean ms tall
ed enables the company to repair, re-
pulld ana house it's locomotives ind
'aiS az lue leaSt possible expense.
These buildings and the shop tools and
general equipment would seem to he
somewhat elaborate and expensive fo r
1 a property of the class to which ;Eis
| road belongs. considering its needs and
requirements. even for the future: Tut
in consideration of the character of
the work performed and the con inu-
| ing need of the best tools even tor
small jobs, and the economy i'm repair.
attained by the possession and U.s., Of
ample room and the best tools. We
/. can say that the expenditure o. The