The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-30
MARVEL OF FINANCE
FACES Investigation.
Fear. Of Harrimsn's Domination
Of All Roads Prompts Fed
eral Search.

~. I'll
Washington, Dec 28.-The investiga-
alton, which begins Jan. 4, is primarily
to determine where there is imminent
danger, of one man or one group of men
dominating the transportation business
of the United States in the near future
Subpenas have been issued and served
under the direction of Attorneys KEEL
logg and Severance, and the hearing in
New York will be most interesting
inquisition into the ways Of high
finance. gs .G
There is no modern marvel that sur
passes the rise of e. H. Hartman from
an unknown broker to the absolute
dominator Of $4,000 miles of strategi-
cally located railroad. The Interstate
commerce commission lawyers propose
to learn how it was made possible for a
man in few years to figure himself
into control of $2,000,O00,OOO worth Of
property. They dom care whether he
owns it: all; they know he doesn IT,
They want to know how he manages to
control it.; how he is able thru his con-
troll of it to dictate policies to men at
the head Of other systems; how he can
manipulate the stock market apparently
at will. sys,,-~s,,- ,,, i.lr..' = -
Seeks to Rule All Roads. =.
Mr.. Hartman is regarded in govern
m 4! circles as the fgurehead of syn
a. d1cate OF intellect: That syndicate is
likely lil to be: a elf-perpetuating affair.
dents; new stockholders; new proxies,
new chairmen Of boards; but the policy
Will go on, unchanged and unchanging.
It aims at nothing less than domination
of the transportationsch scheme of the coun--
try Back Of it is the wealth and the
financial ability Of wonderful group
of men. = -. -
It has been announced that no pains
will be spared to make the investiga-
ton of this interest complete and
searching. The hearings will be held
Francisco and nd probably ' Denver na T fhe
New York hearing will relate to the
financial organization Of the system
and the story goes that it was post
poned from Dec. 20 to Jan. 4 in order
that Mr.. Hartman might be made the
star Witness
=" Will 90 to the Bottom -
Getting west of Wall street the in
quiry will involve more largely prob
lens of operating and management.
The thoroly PRACTICAL question will get
gard to public lands, whether they
have =, overcharged their patrons,
whether: the .public's convenience has
had due consideration in arranging SER
vice. whether there has been in fact,
an effort to prevent competition --al1
these questions will come in for at:
tention. t-1,FS
But down at the bottom of the whole
in1qulsltion lies the problem Of whether
the Hartman system, unless it is dis
solved or checked, is likely to dominate
the whole transportation scheme Of the
continent. 1t is~not necessary, rail-
road men say, to ~ow u majority Of
stock to- control the situation To con
troll the right roads and to have a
finger on the pulse Of the money mar
ket, serves every purpose. If the Hill
system should go. to pieces in the not
distant future, what would prevent the
Hartman interest from getting. control
OF the Northern ,Pacifio9 And with
that, which involves half interest in
the burlington, where is the limit Of
possible expansionf .....::-.. ...:. l...,y: :