Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-08-28
Comptroller Plant Of Company
Presents a Table Giving an Is
Innate Of The Roads Receipts.
WITNESS APPEALS 10 The MASTER
Former Congressman Woodward.
Counsel for North Carolina, More
Than Pressing in His QUESTION:
Interstate and lntra.sta,c Traffic
Again Playing Important Part.

NANill4Nt YIN ~. u. Aux. . -
Tho direct testimony of Comptroller
Plant nf the Southern Railway. In
the North Carolina rate hearing. was
completed bday and considerable
progress was made in the cross-ox-
animation which wns conducted by
former CONGRESSMAN Woodward for
the State of North Carolina
Most of the afternoon session was
taken MP with questions by the North
Carolina state counsel put to Mr.
Plant concerning tho reports made
by him to the North Carolina Cor
noration Commission of the operations
of the Southern railway In that state
MIR. Woodward pressed his qnos-
TONS SO strongly to MIR Plant that
the latter said he felt called upon to
ask the protection OF master in
chanccry against the states leading
counsel. Mr. Plant asserted that Mr.
Woodward asked him questions for
the evident purpose of drawing err
roncous conclusions. which he said
he did not propose to answer.
Mr. Woodward asked Mr.. Plant
whether upon any of the quarterly
Reports made 10 the Northa Carolina
'N'''''''' WI lOl lIlH lOllt
quarters ending Juno 30. 1906. there
was any statement that the operating
expenses lntra.statc business were
approximations.
The reports were not made by
me" replied Mr. Plant.
They We're attested by me-"
Are they not sworn 20 ny you.
MIR plant?" he was asked.
That is true . replied tho witness.
When asked If II was not his duty
to mako these reports to the Corpora
ton Commission. Mr. Plant said il
was his duty to see that they were
prepared and filed.
They were sworn TO by mo as cor
rect To the best of nv knowledge ana
belief Mr. Plant added.
Reveriing again to his first ducs.
ton ms To the reports To the North
Carolina Commission, Mr. Woodward
asked MIR. Plant ii there was any
thing in the report of tho operations
OF The North Carolina Railroad made
by the comptroller for the year end.
ing September 80 1905 Indicative
that his statement of the operating
expenses incident to intrastate hnsi.
ness was an approximation. Upon
examining the report Mr.. Plant said
The report did not show any notation
on II that the figures were apnroxi
mated. He added that 1t was prac
tically impossihlc 10 determine with
mathematical accuracy tho total
amount Of expenses 10 do intra.stato
traffic rs distinguished from all trar-
fic
Mr. Plant Discusses Alleaei oiscre.
pancY.
Mr.. Plant discussed nm alleged diff
ference Of sl65.4G5 in the earnings
Of tho Southern Railway in Norm
Carolina for the year ending June 20
l9o6 as contained in tho report of
North Carolina Railroad CORPORATION
Commission and rs stated in Mr.
Plants testimony Yesterday.
Mr.. Plant eXnlained that tho diff
ference aDnarcntly was attributed In
tho fact that The commissions renort
made no mention OF the mtra.statc
business on tho Atlantic and Danyille
nor OF tho iraffic hauls of the North
carolina Railroad. and that there.
forc, tho iabrlation did not include
AL earnings for which tho Southern
railroad has made reports TO tho
CORPORATION commission
Mr.. Plant contendcd that tho pric7
of labor on the Southern lac in
creased very materially during tho
last five or six wears and thai wage
concessions had been made since
June 80 1906. TO the employees of that
system.
Statement Presented by Witness.
Mr. Plant presented a tabnlniod
statement giving an estimate of the
increase in wages TO employees in
1906 rs compared with tho nrovlous
wear, which aggregated S10440OO
The increases We're for the entire
system. but they applied equally IL
North Carolina.
Mr.. Plant detailed the earning.
and operating EXPENSES OF the South
"rn Railway for tho wear ended Innt
l"o 1907. and stated that Tho decrease
in the not oarnincs as comrarca wifi
1900 was Sl9O9.5S7 or 1877 per cut
IN" balance over fixed charges fcl
1907 was s2.29O321 compared viii
S5,229,OGG in 1906, a decrease of &C..