The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-02-18
PRAISE EMPLOYES
 OF PENNSYLVANIA Special Committee Investigates Alleged Irregularities PUBLIC WAS MlSINFORMED Fifteen Employees and Officers Out of POPS Examined had Accepted Stock Gifts Regarded as
 Vindieation.
PUBLIC WAS MlSlNFORMED

New York, February IA mistaken public opinion, misinformed as to the facts, because of the publication of DOT lions and not the whole of the testimony of the witnesses before the interstate commerce commission. and. therefore, baslng it's conclusions upon insufficient premises, has done grave injustice to the whole service of the Pennsylvania Rail road company. That service is of more than sixty years growth-it is constituted In the main of educated, trained and self-respecting men. whose honorable lives have won the esteem of those who know them best; it has it's traditions of loyalty and il has had in its successive officers examples of unselfsh devotion to duty and steadfast adherence to the right.'
 This, in brief. is the report of the spe- cial committee appointed by the board of directors of the Pennsylvania Railroad company nearly a year ago to examine Into the facts connected with the acqui- Sition and ownership by officers and em- poyes of the company of stock or other Interest in any company, the holding of which could affect the performance of Their duty or the company's duty to the E Lies by employees of the company was also Inquired into by the committee. As re- suit of it's examination POPS officers and employees, including every officer of the several companies whose individual ac- uon or whose order to any subordinate could affect any discrimination, the com mittee reports, 1t found that 266 had in- Terests in coal or other corporations, or firms, or with individuals With the ex- reption of fifteen, all of these had ac- uuired their interest by purchase. The fifteen admitted that they had received gifts of shares or interests in various cor poratons and their names have been re- ported to the presidents of the several railroad companies for appropriate &C., tion.
 Vindicates all Departments.
 On the whole, the report Yindicates the officers and employees in all departments of the Pennsylvania system. The com mittee expresses itself as satisfied that the purchasing department had been ad- mnistered with marked ability and with rnswerving fidelity to the interest of the shareholders.
 Allegations of favortism to certain shippers of freight, mainly coal. are treated with considerable length by the committed which sums up the results of its investigation of these subjects with the statement that there is not and has 
 pany any discrimination as between ship pers in the facilities given for the eXer- else for that legal right
 Much of the trouble which led to the allegations, the committee believes, was due to the so-called individual cars While recognizing all the disadvantages, however, the railroad company has not yet seen it's way clear to do away with the individual cars. The principal reason given for inability 10 discontinue the in- dividual car servce that equipment can not be provided rapidly enough 10 meet the growth of business.
 On charges of discrimination to favored shippers in the btuminous coal fields, the committee quotes the report of com pany of expert accountants, who made an investigation of the matter. The ac- countants' report declares that the 'of- hcers of the railroad company have fair operating or other reasons to present in explanation of such seeming preferences and discriminations.o
 With regard to the charges of faNout- ism in car distribution to the Berwind- White Coal Mining company, the com mittees report says the Pennsylvania's 8 relation in no way constitutes a prefer .anga tn fine coal mining company.