Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-12-06
PUBLIC OWNERSHIP.
CONSULTATIONS OF RAILROAD
POINT THE WAY.
Every New Line Added to the Hill
Hartman Syndicate Brings the Coun-
try Closer to Governmental Control
Trusts Doing One Good Work.

Another step has been taken toward
the consolidation of the railroad sys-
TENS Of the United States in the hands
of single group Of capitalists. The
formation of the Northern Securities
company" with a capital OF $500 ,000,-
O0O for the purpose of holding the
stock of the Northern Pacific. Great
Northern and Chicago, Burlington &
Quincy railroads, clinches the arrange
ment by which 47,S72 miles of West
ern roads, capitalized at about two
billion dollars, have been brought I'M
der one control.
Practically this creates an entire
monopoly west of the Mississippi, for
while few systems remain nominally
outside of the combination, almost all
of them are in complete subsection to
it. We may say, then, that the work
of monopolizing the West is finished.
But when we glance at the list of
the men who have formed this combi
nation, and note that 1t contains the
names of the Vanderbilts, the Rookie
fellers, the Goulds, J. P. Morgan, James
J. HILL E. H. Hartman, Daniel S. La
mont, James Stillman, ID. o. Mills, Au-
gust Belmont, H. E. Huntington, Og-
den Armour and others as well known
in New York, 1t becomes plain that
the community of interests" is by no
means confined to the West. 1t would
be interesting to trace the power of
this great aggregation of wealth
through the directorates and stock lists
of the country. 1t seems an extremely
moderate statement to say that the
capitalists who have united In the
Western deal control at least one-half
Of the railroad mileage of the United
States.
And it will be much easier for them
to obtain the second half than it has
been to get the first They know how
to go to work now, and they have the
money to do it. One railroad after
another will slide gently into their
grasp until any passenger anywhere
who objects to travelling on their lines
can take trolley car or walk.
A few years ago this process would
have thrilled the nation with rage and
terror. We observe it with perfect
calmness now. 1t seems long time
since the Interstate Commerce act was
expected to prevent pooling arrange
ments" between competing roads.
We have ceased to expect anything
from competition now in the railroad
business any more than in gas and
water. We have learned that concen-
tration in such matters is inevitable,
and that the only question is whether
the concentration shall be in the public
interests or against them.
Thus far the engineers of the rail-
road combination have done a most
useful public work. They will con-
tinue to do useful public work until
the last Independent road is brought
into the general system.
If the government had undertaken to
assume control of the railroads of the |
United States a few years ago, when |
every road was running on its own |
hook, it would have found itself facing
an appallingly complicated task As
It is, the best business brains in Amer
ca are doing the work of organiza-
ion for it. They are smoothing out
al the difficulties. consolidating the
staffs, harmonizing the schedules and
treating one vast, smoothly running
When they have finished, all
he government will have to do will be
o assume the debts of the system, is
suing national bonds for stock, and
give the general manager a commits
zion from the president of the United
States.
Some of these able capitalists are
consciously towards this end.
The rest are doing the same thing I'M