Omaha daily bee., 1902-05-28
Financier Asks Why People Should Interfere
with His Business.
SAYS COMBINATIONS ARE PUBLIC BOON
Legislation, if Anything, Should Compel
Community of Interests.
DECLARES STATE COMMISSIONS USELESS
"PreposterOus for such Men as IeGis-
lators TO Regulate Our Behavtor."
says King of Union
Paciac system

Railway commissions and railroad pools
are obsolete said e. H. Hartman a,
Union station yesterday afternoon. Ana
then the man who originated the greatest
sensation OF any railroad age the COM
munity of interests, proceeded to particu-
larlle his position in upholding such
! methods Of railway MANAGEMENT and In de-
crying the actions Of governments in IeEis-
lating to extremes regarding the conduct
Of railroads
1t is preposterous for such men as IeRis-
lators and members OF railway commits
sions to regulate our behavior" he said
and manifestly So Why should men who
| Know nothing Of the railroad business be
given power to make rules for It, especially
when there are at the head Of the railways
men who have spent their lives in learninr
the business? Why should not these man
ayers Of the operations of railroads, these
| dlctators OF their policies, these advisers
OF their relations be allowed to conduct the
! railways according to their own trained
judgment and discrimination?
| Because the railroads take advantage
| OF the people and of the government under
such conditions do you say? But that DO
sition is absolutely untenab'e Why, you
have the whip hand and can step in with
your legislation at any time when you
their privileges and taking undue advan-
tage Of their freedom.
when People Might step In.
| 80 that is no excuse. Any time a ma
| tion sees railroad getting the better of
it or violating the public trust 1t can stop
it, and it is wrong to place upon us need
less and harmful restrictions till that time.
regulations which are the product Of brains
unversed in the handling Of railroads.
Such legislation is very apt to injure the
country far more than we would with our
worst rapacity let loose, for II hinders
the development to the best ends and
fullest capacity OF the greatest Industry
| there is.
80 l have no faith in railway commits
| sions, neither do / believe in POOLS" con-
tinued Mr.. Hartman. Combinations, how
! ever. are all we'll and good. They are not
| only justifable, but advisable. Legislativs
bodies should pass laws to compel COM
binations instead Of prohibiting them. By
combining railroads can facilitate trafic
| In every way, and are certain to work
| economy to both producer and consumer.
| They can send the business over the lines
| best adapted to carry It, those with the
1 most advantageous features Of profile and
| territory and construction and equipment.
| But you See, under many present existing
laws economizing in this way is no longer
possible. Only such combinations can effect
It, and these are not allowed. Give us &
chance and we'll soon show you what rail-
roads can do for the people IL left un-
trammeled to work out their own problems
in their own best ways"
other Magnates Here.
An effort to attach some Significance to
the fact that President Marvin Hughitt Of
Second Vice President J. ]. Harahan Of the
Illinois Central railroad had come from
Chicago to meet Mr.. Hartman given
an abrupt quletus by the latter. The
meeting means nothing momentous at ALL"
he said. II happen TO have some business
with each gentleman. and as l have been
away from home long time they have
come out here to meet me and seize this
opportunity OF comforting with me. / shall
bo greatly pressed for time when I finally
return east. and they have adopted this
wise course to catch me at comparative
leisure"
Mr. Hartman seemed glad to talk Of the
! improvements on the Union Pacific sys-
TEN. I'VE will soon have a railroad to the
coast that will be superior in every respect.
We have Just been spending several mil
lions OF dollars on II between the Missouri
river and Ogden, and have now begun the
expenditure OF $s.S00.00o more between
Ogden and the Pacific coast. Several mil
lions of this latter sum will be involved In
the building Of the new cutoff between
Ogden and Lucin. This will be vast i'm
provement over the present line. and the
new road is being built every day. 1t will
be finished in a year, and then travellers
will hnd themselves riding over Great Salt
Lake itself"
Looks over New shops.
Mr.. Hartman was in Omaha for two
hours, coming IN at 3 o'clock and going out
at s. As soon as he had concluded his FIRST
round with the newspaper men the mag
nate was taken down to the Union Pacific
shops. He looked them over In a general
way, noting especially the new buildings
and other improvements, and was highly
pleased. That will be a grand plant"
said he. "It is easy to zee where the mil
lion and a half Of money that will be put
into these shops is going. These new struc-
lures are OF the highest order. and so will
be the machinery and equipment that viii
hll them
When this railroad king travels he takes
a house party with him. AS his special
train pulled into the station six cars strong
a bevy OF women and children appeared on
the platforms OF the different cars, ane
Nuou Nut9 were uy tue men NhcIc
was a visible colony OF very respectable
proportions. Mr.. Harriman's two daughters
were among the women.
As a gathering Of prominent railroad men
the event was especially notable for Omaha.
Never before were four presidents OF great
trunk line railroads assembled here, but
the trinity OF the three allied lines which
point the way from Chicago 10 San Fran
cisco. Mr.. Hughitt Of the Northwestern.
Mr.. Burt Of the Union Pacific and Mr.. Har-
rimsn Of the Southern Pacific, we're all here
yesterday. together with President Stuart
R. Knott Of the Kansas City Southern rail-
road. who has been with Mr.. Harrimsn all
the time.
Party IL Formidable.
Add TO that aggregation the famed J. G.
Stubs. trafne director for the Hartman
lines. and J. Stanley Brown, hr. Harri-