The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-19
SPECIAL LAWS FOR HARTMAN
WHILE THE FORTUNE OF THE
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. INCREASES
Story OF the Odeli-wilcox Railroad Com-
mission Bill with q Notion OF what
Might Have Been Done for Hartman
Had Piatt and Dunn Not Beaten IT,

Might Have Been Done iOr harriihhh
Had Piatt and Dunn Not Beaten IT,
Governor Chairman Odells personal
friend and financial hacker, Edward d
Hartman, is an incessant law seeker, ana
meanwhile Governor-Chairman Odeli mas
grown rich. Speaking of Governor-Chair-
man Odel and Mr. Hartman it was very
very pointedly said a short time ago.
IF we had the power to change Gov
Odell, we should fix up his mental attitude
his sense of pride, 80 that the Governor OF
the State OF New York would not be seen,
as Mr.. Odel was seen, following behind Mr.
Hartman, the railroad magnate, at MT
Harriman's private horse show, carry
ing Mr. Hartman overcoat on his arm
When Mr.. Higgins. Governor-Chairman
Odells candidate for Governor, voted to
take that SIS, 8lS out OF the State Treasury
and hand it over to the Furnacevile Iron
Company, which was controlled by Edward
H. Hartman, Mr.. Higgins was merely
carrying out the policy Of Governor-Chair-
man Odell toward Mr.. Hartman. In other
ways Governor Chairman Odel has sought
to benefit Mr.. Hartman. Mr.. Hartman
has now pushed his railroad system over
the Grand Trunk as far East as Buffalo.
He has tried to get to New York over the
Erie, Lehgh Valley and Lackawanna rail-
roads, But Mr. Morgan obtained control
of the Erie and Lehigh and the Vanderbilts
obtained the Lackaw wanna. Mr.. Harrl-
man = ambition is to push on East,and unless
he can get the Erie, for which he is still con-
tending, he must have a new road from
Buffalo to New York, or give up the fight,
For this we must have certificate OF
public necessity from the Railroad Com
mission. This he could not get from Rail
road Commissioners Dunn and Baker.
They are incorruptible and their decisions
have always been upheld by the Appellate
Division.
In the closing days of the Legislature in
April last there was sturdy battle over
Governor Chairman Odells Railroad Com
mission bill, which would have increased the
commission from three to five members and
enlarged its powers
Under the existing law the commissioners
have general supervision Of all railroads In
the State 1t is their duty to examine the
manner in which railroads are operated
and whether they comply with the law.
They can recommend experimentation TO
rolling stock, changes in stations additions
to terminal facilities, changes in passen-
ger and freight rates and in the operation
and conduct Of business. Railroad COM
panes are required to comply with the
recommendations of the commissioners,
but such recommendations can be enforced
only by the Supreme Court after hearing
as to their reasonableness.
When the Odell-Wilcox bill was intro
duced it was declared by those familiar
with the facts that Governor-Chairman
Odell sought to accomplish four purposes
by it. as follows:
First-The Board Of Railroad Commits
sioners at the time consisted Of George w.
Dunn, Frank NJ. Baker and Joseph NJ.
Dickey. Dunn and Baker were known
as Platt men. Bakers term expired over a
year before, and shortly after that Gov.
Odell renominated Baker but contrived
with Senators Bracket, Brown and Els
berg, together with Louis F. Payn's Senator,
Amber, in the absence of Senator White.
to bring about the defeat Of Bakers con-
firmaton. Baker held over. and last winter
the Governor Chairman sent Bakers name
to the Senate again, but had his confirma-
ton held up. By adding two men OF his
own to the Railroad Commission he could
have obtained full control OF that COM
mission.
Second-Governor-C Chairman Odell also
desired to humiliate Senator Plat and Col.
Dunn by securing control of the Railroad
Commission. Before the bill was intro
duced the Governor had arranged to depose
Col. Dunn as chairman of the State COM
mittee and his Railroad Commission bill
would have made Dunn's official place I'M
81
that he would resign if the bill passed.
Thid--Gov. Odell had just become
chairman OF the Republican State COM
mittee when he caused Wilcox tointroduce
the Railroad Commission bill. Further
more. he had already arranged to nom-
nate Mr.. Higgins for Governor, and Repre-
sentative Littauer and few other Tape
wormers were in the secret. Governor
Chairman Odell knew at the time that the
financial interests other than those Of Mr..
Hartman were unfriendly to him. and
that he could get the large campaign funds
necessary to enable him to have a chance
of success only by having power to bring
extraordinary pressure upon corporations.
With a Railroad Commission of his own,
with power to issue any orders as to i'm
provements, repairs. rates and operation,
he could have forced the railroads to give
him money.
Fourth-But the main purpose Of the
Odell- Wilcox Railroad Commission bill was
to serve Mr.. Hartman. The Governor
Chairman has grown rich within the last
five years contemporaneously with Mr..
Harriman's rise to the first rank among
financial and railroad men. Mr.. Hartman
has had legislation for his own benefit
ever since the law was passed for him in
1900 placing Illinois Central bonds on the
list of securities in which savings banks
were permitted to invest. Gov. Odell
nut this measure through for Mr. Harri-
man, and the bonds advanced in the market
about ten points, and coincidently a story
was told about $4,000 by those who said
they knew the facts.
Senator Plat and Col. Dunn and their
friends mustered all their strength In the
closing days of the Legislature and de-
feated the Odell- Wilcox hill to increase
the Railroad Commission from three to five
members. and thus prevented Governor