The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-05-24
COMMIT E e:
MAKE REPORT
Heavy Criticism Of Management
OF Atlantic and North Car
DINA Railroad.
GENEROUS WITH PASSES
IA Number Of Lawyers With
Free Transportation Who Did
No Work for the Company.
tsnec,al to rhe Times-Di spatch.)


RALEIGH, N. c., May 3.--Ihe report
Of tho special committee to tho GoVerhor
an tho condition OF the Atlantic ana
North Carolina Railroad, and the affairs
!, mo company, was made public to-day,
and altogether q right severe afralgn-
nent of the management Is made, inc
committee concluding the report WIN
the observation that 1T is clear thal me
hcst and most economical management
of tho property cannot be attained UNDER
s,atn control. 1t is equally clear that 1t
Is a very valuable property, and ina, lis
condition and earning capacity have been
greatly improved in the past four years =,
The committee criticises severely the
purchase and operation Of the Atlanllc
Hotel at Morehead by the railroad com
many, declaring that cit should have beeh
clear to the directors that they were
buying trouble" and that there are many
charges and countercharges Of mis1nah-
ugement and corruption are maze as -
ths management Of the hotel and the
hooks show a loss OF $3.50 during the
season. and 1t Is clear that 1t was very
poorly managed.
FREE FREIGHT.
Regarding charges that ireient mas
been hauled without being billed, the com.
mttee finds that the hauling compliance
OF was chiefly brick and other materlal
for buildings that j.. a. Bryan, president
of the road, erected FOR himself ", Ne"
bern. and In logs hauled for numerous
narties, eettlements on estimated car
loads being made "irregularly' through
The superintendent, and that thus ana
similar practipe gives the superintendent
opportunity to do as he likes "lth
money coming into his hands, since there
is no check against him and no bond Tor
the projection OF the company. They dis
utaim any intention OF making such a
charge against the superintendent.
rree passes. the committee says have
been distributed generously where 1t was
thought they would produce business,
contrary to the bylaws Of the company
and the laws of the StAte. The commit
tee defends President Bryan against the
charge Of paying excessive prices to the
National Oil Company, of Goldsboro,
when Standard Oil Company offered the
same grade at a much less figure, saying
that in dealing with the Standard or
other oil people, 1t Is we'll to fear the
Greeks bearing gifts" The report con-
dennis the wood contracts made by the
company, and insists that coal should be
substituted as fuel on the road.
PASSES TOO FREE.
In regard to lawyers holding fSee
passes as local counsel for the road, the
committee found that only thirteen cut
OF thlrty-four rendered the road any SER
vice, and one had appeared against the
railroad in practically every suit against
the road In Craven county during the
past four years.
They Insist that all not rendering legal
service to the company should be dropped.
The proxy committee Is criticised as too
large and having fourteen members not
stockholders, being put on to afford them
free transportation. The committee found
only one, and not eleven, agents OF the
company to be short in accounts with
the company.
AS TO- charges that the road is run as a
political machine and dumping ground
for broken down politicians. the commit
tee reports that they find it has been
treated like other State institutions, off,
GERS changing with the changes OF admin
istration, but they could not see that
the present administration has contri-
butcd more largely to this result than any
other.
They found that only one man, an aged
Confederate Vetsran, had been retained
In the serHl.c q. $50 per month when he
was clearly unable to render the COM
,.any any service. but thu committee de-
ollned to criticise this action, and state
that It was shown that no broken down
politicians were dumped on the road. al
though, the report states. President Bryan
frankly admitted on the stand that pref
ercnce, all things being equal, was given
10 Democrats when men were employed.
SERVICE IMPROVED.
The committee finds that the road has
earned during the past four years above
operating expenses the sum of s@j172n56;
has borrowed $4,000 Of which 900 has
been repaid from earnings, and $4,000 Is
still unpaid. Adding an additional net
earnings for nine months past TO the four
years, the committee finds that the total
net earnings are S324.499. They find that
the service has been greatly improved;
that some of this money has peen wisely