Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-06-04
Returns From Europe to Par
ticipate In Pennsylvania Rail
road Company Investigation
HE DEFENDS THE COMPANY
President cassatt Asserts That the
company's Affairs Have Been Hon
estIy Conducted in the Interest Of
Shareholders, and With Full Rec
ignition of Its Duty to the Public.

Philadelphia, Pa, June "A. j.
Cassatt, president of the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company, arrived home at
Haverford, suburb, from Europe
yesterday He gave to the Associated
Press the following statement:
Mr.. Cassatt said he had retr-ned
home to take part in the investigation
by the board of directors of the Penn
sylvania Railroad Company into the
matters that had been disclosed dur
ing his absence before the interstate
commerce commission. He had re-
knew nothing of the details of the
charges against certain officials of the
acceptance of brides from coal oper-
ators. The board would investigate all
such charges exclusively and if any
officer or employee should be found
guilty of corrupt practices he would
be summarly dealt with.
Referring to the testimony Of GER
tain officers that they have held stocks
of coal companies and to the inference
drawn by the newspapers that favor1t-
ism and discrimination on large
scale had been practiced for the bene-
fit of the companies whose stocks were
thus held, Mr.. Cassatt said that while
such stock ownership was no doubt IN
advisable and unfortunate, 1t was not
an offense In itself, and not contrary
to the by-laws of the company; In
fact the management had, in the
earlier years of the company, en-
couraged the officers to aid in the de-
veiopment of industries along its lines.
The wrong, If any has been done, was
in the alleged favoritism. There could
be no favoritism in rates, as all ship
pers were on an absolute equality. Mr.
Cassatt made himself personally re-
sponsible for the absolute correctness
of this statement If there was any
discrimination it could only be in the
distribution of empty coal cars, and so
far as he knew, no proof had been pro-
duced that the officer had been guilty
of such favoritism. There had always
been shortage of coal cars during pc
RODS of every year and III recent years
this condition had been aggravated by
the great increase in the production OF
coal
Tho the testimony before the COM
mission might disclose instances of In
dividual misconduct, and tho an effort.
seeming organized, had been made to
place the management in the most ia
vorable light, Mr.. Cassett asserted that
the companys affairs We're honestly
conducted in the interest of the share
holders and with a full recognition of
its duty to the public. The manage
ment had in the past shown itself en-
titled to the confidence Of the public,
and 1t should be trusted now to deal
properly with the present situation.
Mr.. Cassatt thought, too, that the
management deserved better treatment
than 1t had received from the press.
1t had rendered an immense service to
the public and to the cause of honesty
and decency when early in 1900, two
years before the passage of the Elkins
act, it gave notice that no more rebates
would be paid and that all shippers,
great or small, would be placed upon
basis of perfect equality. 1t had thus
inaugurated movement which, having
been joined in by other railroads and
aided by the passage of the Elkins act,
had destroyed vicious system.