The new age., 1906-12-01
EDITORIAL
REGULATE HARTMAN.

The people of Oregon have "a long,
heavy score to settle with the Har-
riman railroads, and they expect the
next legislature to do something to
even up that score. AS rule it does
not pay for legislatures to be an1ag-
onistic to railroads, hut rather to
treat them not only reasonable bat
literally; and this is especially true
in an undeveloped state like Oregon.
But the time has come when the leg
islature of Oregon must do something
to relieve the people from the burden
and blight inflicted by this Wall street
ogre. The losses to the people Of this
state this year on account of the lack
of cars and locomotives on the HarTi-
man lines are tremendous and are be-
coming fairly appalling. Hundreds
of mills and manufactures are closed
down, thousand of working people are
thrown out of employment, farmers
and orchardists cannot get their pro-
duce to market, and people in scores
of towns are out of fuel or nearly so,
and possibly hard winter just be-
ginning.
There is no excuse whatever for
this, for the same shortage in less
but increasing degree has appeared
for years past, and Mr.. Harriman's
local men could have told him long
ago that the products and business
and transportation needs of Oregon
would be far greater than ever before.
But he was busy with high finance,
stock gambling in Wall street, and
had no time or money to devote to
the needs Of Oregon, that he had been
milking of rich treasure so long. He
has not only refused to extend his
lines to develop the state, and pre-
vented as far as he could other com.
panies from building in it, but has dis.
Terminated against the people of the
state and this city and has charged
them extortionate rates-all the traf-
tic would bear.
Hartman has also inflicted inn
mense injury upon this city and state
by his persistent and venomous fight
against the Hill road, being built down
the north bank of the Columbia. He
has fought and is still fighting that
enterprise in every possible way and
with every resource at his command,
but for once he has met his match;
and though the Hill road will be de-
1ayed and harassed and made more
expensive by this malicious fight of
Hartman, it will be built and will
afford Oregon greatly needed relief
And the people of this city would do
well to throw all the patronage pos
sible to the Hill roads, for he, has
been a veritable friend in need. While
Mr.. Hill is looking out for his and his
associates interests, he is a very diff
ferent type Of man from Hartman
He believes in aiding development, In
helping farmers and other producers,
in bringing in settlers and making
new regions productive, in encour-
aging people to do we'll and aiding
them as well as the railroad to pros,
per. With such man in control of
the Hartman lines in Oregon, there
would be little or no need of legis-
lation; he would do about what was
right and the best he could without
compulsion; but the Hartman tyrant
must be dealt with somehow. The
people can endure his impositions no
longer.
This is the most important piece of
legislation before the legislature.
There need be no fear of Hartman;
he could not treat the people of Ore
gon much worse, whatever laws they
pass, and the time is soon coming
when he will not be monarch of all
he surveys in this state.