The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-11
TO PROBE HARTMAN COMBINE
AND MAYBE BREAK 1T UP LIKE
THE HILL MERGER.
Interstate Commerce Commission Consider
ing How II Had Better Act-subJect
10 BE Raised In Congress Next Month
rs oregon short Line a Holding Cor

Ing How II Had Better Act-SubJect
10 BE Raised In Congress Next Month
rs oregon short Line q Holding Cor
WASHINGTON, Nov. lO.-The Hartman
consolidation Of railroads, enlarged re-
Gently by the addition Of the Illinois Gen.
tral, Amounting to what some officials in
Washington believe to be a combination
In restraint OF trade to the same extent
as the Northern Securities Company, which
was dissolved by decree OF the United
States Supreme Court, will be investigated
by the Interstate Commerce Commission,
either on its own initiative or In accordance
with a resolution that will undoubtedly
be passed by Congress early In the De-
cember session. Advices have been TO
ceived here that resolutions galore aimed at
the Hartman lines will be introduced by
Senators and Representatives.
For several days the Interstate Commerce
Commission has had under consideration
IN inquiry into the operations Of the Harri-
man companies, It having been alleged,
although not in a formal way, that the
combination was as obnoxious to the law
as Jn5 ulefReT OF Jl6 OEedL NOfJnoru, Cno
Northern Pacific and the Burlington, which
was successfully prosecuted by the Gov
eminent. While there Is no evidence on
this point, the statement has been broadly
made that the Hartman lines, so-called,
are controlled by a holding company.
namely the Oregon Short Line. one Of tho
links in the great transcontinental system
built up and developed by E. II. Hartman.
UTksIA Al. TN.~.NA rN-o~,A-AA Na~ar,s,-
sion has no authority to hold hearings or
institute proceedings In the courts under
the provisions Of the Sherman antitrust
law, it was instrumental in throwing light
ON the big combination engineered by
President James J. Hill Of the Great North
ern.
The twelfth section of the interstate
m act provides that the com
mission shall have authority to inquire
into the management Of the business OF all
common carriers and shall keep itself
informed as to the manner and method
In which the same is conducted
Accordingly announcement was made in
1902 that it appeared to the commission
that certain consultations and combina-
tons OF carriers, including the method OF
association known as the community Of
lnUereSJ plhus suOulu DC UHuc Tue buDgeCL
Of investigation, to the end that the oom-
mission may be informed as to their forma-
tion, purposes and modes Of operation,
together with their effects upon the move
ment Of Interstate and the rates
received therefor and to the further enc
that II may be ascertained whether such
consultations. combinations and methods
of association are unlawful. Testimony
was given at the hearing held In Chicago
in 1902 that eventually resulted in a dissolu-
ton Of the North western merger.
Whether the inquiry concerning the
Hartman lines will be inaugurated at once
or the commission will avn ait action by
Congress is to be determined later. In
formation on the subject is now being
collected by the commission to guide 1t in
reaching a conclusion.
The understanding here is that the men
who control the Hartman lines will even
tually be called upon to explain the agree
ment under which they are working.