The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-02-08


Washington, February 4.--IEat
Aessrs. Hanks and Hartman failed to
substantiate their assertion that grave
errors appeared in the statistical work
or the interstate commerce commission.
That they failed to show, in accord
ance with their claim, that the freight
n passenger rates of the country
could be reduced aD average of ten
per cent. without reducing wage& or
dividends.
The above in substance are the ON
clusfons of the interstate commelrc
commission in its report today to the
senate in response to a resolution Of
that body concerning the employment
of Messrs. Charles s.. Hanks and
George W. Hartman. Those gentlemen
made an investigation of the interstate
commerce commission after several
conferences with the president and the
! members of the commission when it is
| stated, they assured the president that
grave errors and shortcomings existed
in the work Of the commission and
that they could revolutionize the work
Of that body. The commissions report
states that Messrs. Hanks and Harri-
man were afforded every facility in
their investigation and they were con-
tinued in that service until it was cOu-
WINGED that their criticisms were With
out merit and that they a no sug-
/ gestions to make which had not al
ready been anticipated"
The commission goes into detail COZ
corning the work of the investigators.
the result of their examination, the
time they were employed and the "on-
pensation they received.
Accompanying the commissions re-
port is the report of Messrs. Charles =.
Neil. commissioner of labor, James K.
Garfield, commissioner of corporations,
and Mr.. Starek, a bank examiner, who.
at the direction of the president,
made q thorough investigation OF the
charges preferred against the stat'stl-
cal work of the commission.
The special committee made an eH
animation of the three specific charges
against the statistical work OF the L.
terstate commission ani
their findings, in brief, are that Messrs
Hanks and Hartman were unable to
/ present anything to the committee
which successfully attacked the lnteg-
rity of the statistical wOrk of the COM
mission, or vitiated it's general esul's
Also appended to the commissI ms
report is a sharp letter from President
Roosevelt t o Mr.. Hanks, dated January
81 last, in which it is stated that the
charges are completely disproved
The presidents letter to Mr.. HANK Is
as follows.
The White House, Washington. d
c., January 81, 1880.
my Dear Mr.. Hank:
"I am in receipt of your letter Ut the
goth inst. I send you herewith the re-
port of Messrs. Neil and Garfield OF
the only specific charges was a"lS
to get Mr.. Hartman to make after &C.
peated efforts on my part. Mr.. Sfarah
Joins in the report. The charges are
completely disproved.
Last winter you came 10 me Oh
occasions, sometimes with n soIie'
times without Mr.. Hartman assullhs
me that very grave errors 4 shor''
comings existed in the work OF the IN
terstate commerce commission, these
y being due primarily to the Work o. II:
? statistician, Mr.. Adams. The aiicsa
tions made were so grave that L Mar
both Of you meet certain members u
the commission on which occasion !o'
stated that you would be able to pl
the commission in possession OF mo:
nation which would practically rev"
l~utionize much of the work they "er'
doing if you were given the chance Z
have access to their books. Inc com
mission, at my request, gave you scci
4 access. You were engaged In n -
. searches last spring. When l retur7e'
T to Washington last fall / heard Iron
!. both Mr.. Hartman and you on differ
ent occasions that you had touno ct
rors of the gravest and grossest cna,
acter in the work of the statistlclah-
errors which completely nulllheo an
rendered valueless the vork OF III
whole commission. The charges 70
had made and were then making wei
of so grave a character that l oin NC
feel justified In failing to give yo
every opportunity to suostanua'
them; for of course there was notnla
more important than to find out Wneet