The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-02-10
STANDARD OIL GRIP ON ALL RAILROADS Much Talk of RoekefeIIer's
 Enormous Project HARTMAN TRACTION KING Ownership May Take Place of consoll. datlon as Means to End compe-
 tltion-Harrlman to Be the
 Managing Head.
HARTMAN TRACTION KING

Managing Head.
 Chicago, February 9.-(Special)-A New York special to the Record-Herald says: | Standard oil interests to dominate and control the transportation facilities of the whole country?
 1 That was the question discussed in high financial circles today when 1t became known that Standard oil, together with the Hartman syndicate, had succeeded in securing practical control of the Atchison,
 Topeka and Santa Fe railroad.
 In the pursuit of their purpose to obtain
 grip on the country's transportation fa- cilities the Standard oil magnates have decided to make Edward H. Hartman. himself the head of a railway system of over 1S.OO0 miles, the sole managing head
 of all Standard oil railway properties. It dawned upon the financial world today that Harriman backed by Standard oil
 is already the greatest railway king of | history.
 Control Made Certain. | All doubt of Rockefeller Hartman con-
 trol of Santa Fe was removed when it ! became known today that special meet | ing of the Santa Fe board will be held 1 here tomorrow with view to giving two santard oil representatives places on the board It can be stated with almost of ficial certainty that the Rockefeller repre- sentatives will be William Rockefeller and Henry c. Prick. MT. Tricks selection, | however, has not been determined beyond recall It is understood that Rockefeller and Prick will displace Edward D. Kenna, who resigned sometime ago from the board and who yesterday resigned as first vice president of the company, and also John G. Mccullough, formerly Governor | of Vermont.
 The announcement of the Atohison pro- gramme, following as it does so soon after the news that Standard oil has secured q substantial interest the Vanderbilt properties, leaves no doubt as to the pur pose of the Rockefeller-Harriman combi- nation. Today Standard oil is by far the greatest single power in American rallroading. and 1t is a power that is be-
 ing extended with startling rapidity. rave FOFCT TIT WcSts The Rockefellers, together with the men they have taken into tnC.r fold. now control the transportation industry west
 of the Missouri river to the Pacific coast,
 and from the Mexican border on the south to the domain of James J. Hill.
 near the Canadian border on the north 1 Should the Northern Securities case be
 settled in favor of Edward H. Hartman
 the Standard oil control of the transpor- ! tation facilities of the western world i would be complete.
 i About two years ago the Rockefellers
 formed an alliance with the Goulds and
 gradually became interested in all the 1 Gould properties, their representatives be- | ing elected to the boards of the leading i Gould roads. Then came the alliance
 with Edward II. Hartman ana Standard | oil acquisition of substantial interests in
 the properties making up the Hartman | system. especially the Southern Pacific
 and the Union Pacific. Three Union Pa
 cihe directors -Stillman. Hyde and Rog
 ers-now represent the Rockefellers in | Union Pacific control.
 Dominate Vast Systems.
 These two alliances gave the Standard oil control of the Southern Pacific, Union Pacific. Missouri Pacific, Wabash, Oregon Railroad and Navigation company, Ore gon Short Line. International and Great Northern and other important western
 systems It only needed Sante F'e con-
 trol to permit of the Standard oil inter ests dominating the railroad situation in
 the vast territory west of the Missouri river.
 Between Chicago and the Missouri river the Standard oil interests are now suf- ficiently strong to exercise supervision if not an actual domination They control the Northwestern and the St. l'aul roads, and are said to be reaching out after other properties. East cf Chicago their | first attack was upon the stronghold of the Vanderbilt family, hitherto sacred for generations. So surprising was the an- nouncement that Standard oil had loosen ed the Vanderbilt grip upon the northern half of the eastern territory that the l financial and railroad worlds at first re- fused to credit it. IL was only after
 known Standard oil represe' .atives had been elected to the New York Central board that the Rockefeller influence was no longer denied.
 Dodge Combine Problem.
 The acquision of the Santa Fe by the
 Standard oil also demonstrates that the
 financial Kings have decided to effect by other means what they have failed to eff feet by the Hill method of consolidation represented by the Northern Securities
 company While the law may prevent
 consolidation if cannot proFent private
 ownership of stock. Therefore practical,
 thought not actual. consolidation is be-
 ing effected by purchase of stock inter
 ests in the several properties. This will
 be as effectual in throttling competition
 as actual consolidation.
 Second only in interest to the campaign l whcih Standard oil interests are carrying i,,,t t~ tt. Ia, aIao 1- ward IT. Hartman to -ireet the manage
 ment of all the properties which they con- trol. When the Sta ldard oil people first
 began their campaign of railroad aggran- I dizement it look, as though James J. | Hill would be their chosen leader. The | Hill star, however, soon began to wane,
 and suddenly the Hartman star came
 into the ascendency This fact is said ! to account largely for the ill feeling
 which has existed between Hartman and 1 Hill and their bitter fight in the courts