The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-01-17
ILLINOIS CENTRAL
CITED TO ANSWER
ATTORNEY GENERAL ST & A p
FILES STRONG BILL IN
SUPREME COURT.
STATEMENTS ARE FALSE
Is Bold Charge Made BY the Official
Regarding SeniAnnual Reports
Of Cross Earnings Made BY
Company.


Company.
Springfield, H. Jan. lG.-Attorne,
, General Stead has flied 10 the Su
prome court Of lie state, a bin sci ins
. forth The ground Of the peoples com
plaint aga MS the Illinois Central Rail
road company in the matter Of ta3
evasion
The bin sets out The Act Of Con
gress granting public lands to tht
state Of Illinois to aid'in the construc
ton Of railroad and the act Of the
General Assembly OF Illinois and the
samendmc1ts thereto, Incorporating
the Illinois Central Railroad company
1t ayers that under said act of con.
gress the company constructed a
main charter line from Cairo to La
Sale, and Two branches one from La
Sale 70 Dunleth and the other from
Centalia to Chicago. and received
from he state in aid there.f aad
without cost 2,5950o0 acres Of land.
from The sales Of which II rec iyel
more than 30000, 10000 That .aid
ma charter lines and branches were
the only lines Of railroad the com
pdny authorized to build or operate
under its charter, and that down 10
about 1877 the charter lines compris.
led practically the entire system n.
trolled and operated by the company.
1hat about 1877 the company. as
suming o act under the general laws
of the state began to build lease
and acquire other lines and branches
oi railroad in Illinois and elsewhere
lor the purpose Of building up and
controlling great and extensive sys.
TEN of railroads.
tAll the ditfere1t lines ana branch.
es' some fifty in number since ae,
CURED, the date and methods of ac.
quNement. and the points of connec.
ton with the ctarrer Tfnes, are par I
set forthl
The bill alleges hat the lines east !
and west of the Mississippi river are
connected by the Dubuque bridge
which is lea ed and controlled by the
compa y, and is in reality simply
piece of railroad track That the lines
north and south of the Ohio river are
cted by the Cairo bridge. which
vas built in name by the Chicago. 81.
louis and New Orleans Railroad com
lany and immed ately thereafter
eased to the Illinois Central That
he illinois Central furnished all the
money to build said Cairo bridge and Il
controls all of the stock of the Chica.
:" ST. Louis and New Orleans Rail
Dad mpany. and is, and always has h
'een in fact the real owner of the d
afro bridge, which bridge. so far as !
he stale IS concerned is merely a
'iece Of railroad track.
That the charter lines and the 9th n
r lines acquired since 1877 (Which
ther lines are designated non-charfer h
nesl, together with the Dubuque and a
afro bridges, have bsen and still are f.
ontrolled and operated as one entire
ystem, and the total proceeds and in q
me collected by the company. ~
That il ia the duty of the company n
ndc is charter, TO pay into the state n
reasury semi-annualy five per cent. n
m of the gross inc me derived from
he charter lines and TO keep an ac. "a
urate account therof and to furnish .;
ne governor a copy of such account. {,
worn 10 by its treasurer and score. T.,
lry and in addition. 10 list annually f.,
iih the auditor for state taxation. an In
its stock, properly and as cts and =.
ay into the state treasury the taxes j.
'sessed thereon, and in the even Z.
lat said five p rcenmm and said If
ate taxes do not equal to at least q,
wen per cent of the gross earn 'ngr Isr
+ income derived from the charter =,
mes, TO pay into tn treasury the diff n.
.rercc se as to make the whole .,
no Mt paid into The treasury in each ~.
Id every year equal a least to seven q.
r cenjum ofthe gross proceeds. re- n
'ipts or income derived from the r.,
larter lines. ~.
That from 1859 to 1896 the company r.
fused TO list with the auditor It's
ock. property and assets. for the pur- nj,
'ses + state taxation. and refused n
pay into the treasury an amount or
ual TO al least seven per cent of fr
Q gross receipts or s1come derived M
ON he charter lines. +b
That since 1857. II has been the
~ Of the company. not only IN az m
Hain the gros receints or income IN
rived from the freight passenger n
ID -ther traffic tran. ported evclu- Ior
-ely over the charter lines. but also r
erdit the charter lines with ins' =.
d fair proportion Of all the freight. ~
ssenger and ether earnings or in re
ne II the entire system in which lth
p charter lines paFticina- ed: hut
n the compaHv has uniformly and he
scientifically failed 50 to dn.
That since 1890 the corn-anv has