The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-21
HARTMAN ON RATE MAKING.
SAYS PEOPLE MAKE RATES, RAIL
WAYS EQUALIZE THEN.
Denies There Was Reason for New Law
Would Not Give GSverDmentMo lore Power
Says He Does Not Control Q Mile Of
Road; All In Hands of Stockholders.

Would Not Give G0verDmentMOre Power
Says He Does Not Control Q Mile Of
Road; All In Hands of stockholders.
KANSAS CITY, Nov. The feature Of
to-day's session OF the Trans Mississippi
Commercial Congress was a defence Of
present day railway methods by f. H..
Hartman, and al attack upon Hartman
by George J. Kendall OF Denver.
Mr.. Hartman had no sooner concluded
than Kendall was upon his feet ready to
reply. The rules were suspended by con-
sent OF Mr.. Hartman. and for ten minutes
Kendall fred allegations and figures at the
Southern Pacifo's head and challenged
him to deny the criticisms he made Of Harri-
mans management.
After commenting humorously ou the
Inducing influence Of ex-Gov. Francis.
who had urged him to accept the invitation
of the Congress TO appear at their sessions
and address them, Mr.. Hartman said;
Il am going to try to say something to
you that will perhaps make you think.
and maybe gain some friends among you.
in order that we may cooperate, because l
believe that is what we have got to do,
all of US, whether we represent corporate
interests or individual interests; whether
professional men or business men. We
have all got to cooperate II We are going
to succeed in eventually bringing about
what we all desire-a community in which
all interests will be treated equally and
alike.
Il, perhaps as much as anybody, repre-
sent what the public is believed to be an
tagonistio to at this time-corporste in
terests-or at least railroad corporations.
l have been introduced on several Occa-
sions as being the controller OF so many
| thousands of miles Of railroad, but / do
not control one mile of railroad, and az |
said last night at the Commercial Club,
| do not believe in any one man or any COM
bipation Of men controlling the important
transportation lines Of this country or
any great portion Of them.
The organizations Of which am part
are made up Of fourteen or fifteen thousand
persons who control and own these proper
ties. There is no individual, no oombina-
| ton Of individuals that could possibly own
or control them or does control them.
THE stockholders and the boards Of
directors manage those org anizations.
While / stand IA their representative and
appear to be the dictator / am not such.
| simply carry out what has been care
| fully considered and turned over by many
minds.
Last year you passed q resolution which
was an~tagOnistic TO the then clamOr for
additional legislation or power to be con-
ferred upon the Interstate Commerce Com
mission. Your contention was and ours
has been all along that the sherman Anti
Trust act, the original Interstate Commerce
Commission act and the Ekins amendment
thereto gave sufficient power to the Governo
ment and to the commission to prosecute
and correct the then existing evils.
Il do not intend TO defend the railroads
or the officers Of the railroads, because |
believe that the mismanagement OF the
railroads has been largely due to the antago-
nistic feeling that has prevailed against
them; but we hope, gentlemen, to correct
them, and az | have said before, to get some
cooperation among the intelligent minds
| Of the stable citizens Of this country
Mr.. Hartman said in addition that OF
the seven men that constitute the Railroad
Commission four are a majority and those
four could really control the transportation
interests OF the country il they chose. IL
had been suggested that additional power
should be conferred upon the Government
He referred, he said, to the President s
speech at Harrisburg. 1t seemed to him,
however, that We should wait and see the
result of the additional power already
conferred upon this commission.
The railroad traffic men had come to con-
| slider that they were not the ones that made
the rates. They did not make the rates;
they only equslized the rates. The rates
we're made by the communities served by
| the different railroads.
The country had got to the limit under
the present methods Of economy in trans
| portation-almost to the limit. Railroads
| could not put heavier locomotives on a
four foot eight and a half inch track than
they ave now.
II would have been a great thing II in
stead Of having tour feet eight and a half
inches for the base we had a FIVE foot gauge.
That would enable railroads to get a heavier
locomotive at nearer the proper centre OF
gravity.
But improvements like those would cost
hundreds Of millions Of dollars, n IL the
railroads were subjected too soon to a re-
duction OF their incomes. which would
mean a destruction OF their credits, whore
was the means coming from with which
TO make these improvements
RJtRGLARS DROVE HER TO MARRY