Still other controversies arose between the Union Pacific and the United States government over earnings from the operation of the bridge across the Missouri River between Council Bluffs and Omaha, over receipts from the operation of Pullman cars, and over the payments by the Union and Central Pacific railroads to the Pacific Mail Steamship Company according to the terms of contracts described in a preceding chapter.[550] Inadequacy of Law The persistent disputes between the government and the railroad companies over the proper interpretation of the Thurman law made the administration of the statute difficult. The primary defect of the act, however, lay in the fact that the contributions which it compelled the companies to make were too small to provide for the retirement of the subsidy bonds with interest at their maturity. How far the ultimate provision under the law fell short of a proper accumulation may be seen from the table given in the next paragraph, in which the debits and credits on account of the government loan to the Central and Western Pacific railroads are given as of June 30, 1897, six months before the greater part of the subsidy bonds fell due. According to the Commissioner of Railroads, the account between the United States and the Central Pacific Railroad stood on the 30th of June, 1897, as follows:[551] STATEMENT ON THE GOVERNMENT LOAN TO THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN PACIFIC RAILROADS, AS OF JUNE 30, 1897 _Debits_: Principal of subsidy bonds issued $27,855,680.00 Interest paid by the United States 47,954,139.78 —————————————— Total debits $75,809,819.78 ══════════════ _Credits_: Applied to bond and interest account: Transportation $7,977,535.66 Cash 658,283.26 Applied to sinking fund account: Transportation 5,027,848.71 Cash 633,992.48 Proceeds of sinking fund investments 1,683,127.38 —————————————— Total credits $15,980,787.49 ══════════════ Balance of debt, June 30, 1897 $59,829,032.29 Excess of interest paid by the United States over all credits $31,973,352.29