The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-06-13


ceeded to question him from the vast
number of nlemorandums he had made
while Mr.. Plant was being examined ny
Mr.. Thorn Many of Mr., Braxton's first
questions were preliminary, but he grad
5ually got down to real business.
Asked what were the met earnings
In Virginia for the last fiscal year, Wit
ness said s2Ol1, 170.s6. This is about one
sixth of all. He said the gross earn
ings In Virginia were about one-seventh
Of those Of the entire system, and the
mileage about one-sevcnth.
Mr.. Braxton asked the witness II, upon
the calculations worked out from figures
submitted, 1t was not true that the COM
pany's business In Virginia was more
profitable than that outside Of the State.
Mr.. Plant said 1t did appear SO, but he
could not say 1t was actually true. an
The witness was examined at length
as TO figures contained In the annual re-
Port OF the company for 1905, pertaining
to earnings. operating expenses, etc.
6f He was asked a number Of questions
as to what items of Improvement were
changed to maintenance of ways and
structures, and his answers largely COR
roborated those Of General Manager Spen-1
{ Ger on these points. 81 ss r
8 He snid that all repairs to old stations
We're charged to operating expenses
while the cost of new ones went to
maintenance, Of ways and structures.
y @. when your road renews rails with
better ones to what is this charged ~
a. "To maintenance Il of ways and
structures 5f b
81 a. do you know the weight of rail
ION the Virginia Midland when the South
lern took it In 1894 o.. N
a. The reports indicate that in i sos
the road had seventy miles of eighty
pound rail, seventy miles OF seventy
pound rail, 120 miles of sixty pound and
eleven miles Ut less than sixty pounds.
Weight Of Rails.
Q. Please state tho weight of rail on
that road now g 5 & ,2
A. There is no rail on that road now
lighter than seventy five pounds
81 G.. WAS there any steel rail on the
Virginia Midland in 1894. ard If so. how
much?" 4 fi1 II
"A. ION June 30, 1896. out OF a total
mileage Of BAL miles, including branches,
all was steel except a short dlstance."
9. ION how much Of your entire sys-
tenn in Virginia since 1894 has iron rail
been replaced with steel?
Witness could not answer this question
accurately. ~
8 Q Has not the company to a large,
extent replaced wooden with iron
bridges q @
a. They have In a good many cases.
a O. Was this changed to Improve ments
and betterments or to maintenance OF
lways?''
4. "This depends upon the circum-
stances "a IA
Here the witness showed how the cost
would go to one account under some CON
ditions and to the other under others,
and he was further questioned on the
same line. t5
Mr. Braxton showed great interest IN
endeavoring to get at the composition
OF what is known by the company as its
capital account, and n long siege fol-
lowed on this subject between lawyer and
witness. The former wished to know Il
culverts were replaced with arches, wheth-
er they We're charged to improvements
and betternents, or to the capital ac-
count land the latter said in case of large
culverts they were charged to improve
ments and betterments.
He further said that most Of the ex-
penscs for Strengthening tracks We're
charged to the capital account, though
some of them went to improvements and
lbetterments. None were charged & to
W Ways ullA 81 dSluANS
The two remained in colloquy over the
question of the capital account for some
time, and finally the witness asked Mr.
Thorn; ITO which capital account do
YOU refer? We have a capital asset and
capital liability account.
Railroad men,. more familiar than law
yers with the intricacies Of railroad ac-
counting, when Mr.. BraxtonN said he did
not know there was but one, seemed to
enjoy the incident greatly.
HI Witness and lawyer then arrived at a
better understanding as to what account
they were referring to, and the eXaml-
nation proceeded up to lunch hour with
out further feature. &
Afternoon Session.
4 When the session was resumed, at a.
little before o'clock, Mr. BraXton begun
pressing the witness again to find out
the conditon of his road In Virginia,
compared with It's lines In other States.
las relate to operating expenses, earnings,
ETC.. and the questions and answers We're
with reference almost entirely to figures
and mathematical calculations.
1t did not, take the lawyer and VII
ness long to part company on their de-
auctions from given propositions OF rnil.
road accounting, and It took them soma
| time to get together again. Meanwhile,
! the two lawyers wransled tor some tnlo
| over the admission OF ccrsaln questions.
and then the examination went on
smoothly for while
They finally figured out that during
the last fiscal year II cost the company
a little over II cents TO earn a dollar OF
| prolS in Virginia, and that the cost OF
!, doing local business In Virginia was
lsabout 10 cents on the dollar more than
4 tina, of doing all the business of the
! system.
Mr. BraNton here said he would con-
| tend that all sums spent for beltermeEts
TO keep the road in the condition 1t orig
| inaly was should be- taken out OF the
4 surplus. instead Of the earnings, ana tina,
was the reason for his present line OF
! questions.
i Mr.. Thorn replied, and said the propo.
/ sition was a most startling one, anG
4 that, If carried out, II meant that h
railroad company should never be allowed
10 earn moro money than was necessar,
/ to keep its property in repair. 9 WI
i Suppose the railroad earns no diy
4 dcnds," he asked .where WI the mons,
come from to make improvements II
keeping witt. modern demands. unless 70,