Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-10-18
Battle for Control Of Illinois Central
Goes Over Another Day.
PROXY INSPECTORS AT WORK
Adjournment is Taken Until 2 O'clock
This Afternoon.
SIDE IS CONFIDENT
Both Earnestly Pursue the Hunt fol
More Proxies.
HARTMAN MAKES STATEMENT
He Tells Reporters that Press Can
Materially Help Situation by
Always Printing Both
sides at Oncc.

CHICAGO, oct l7.-Until three men, who
are locked in room assidously counting
proxies are able TO report TO the stock
holders OF the Illinois Central railroad
there will be no election OF directors.
Twice today the stockholders assembled.
only 10 be told that the proxy inspectors
were not prepared to report. The hhal
adjournmens was taken shortly after
oclock In the afternoon and carried the
meeting over until tomorrow at o'clock.
The attorneys for Mr.. Hartman, who
have all along been anxious to push mat
ters to a speedy conclusion. chafed sorely
under the delays imposed by the proxy
inspectors, When II was evident at the
morning meeting that the committee would
not be able to report, Mr.. Cromwell went
TO Judge DegaF Farrar, who represents
Mr.. Fish, with the proposition that all
the proxies should be thrown upon a table
in the general meeting and that conflict
Ing proxies should be thrown out. This
would have killed all the revocations that
,have been made, and the proposition was
promptly declined by Judge Farrar Mr..
Cromwell explained himself as anxious for
n quick "show down" The Fish faction.
however declined to consider the plan for
a moment and Mr.. Cromwell was forced
to scquiesce In the delay
Hartman Appeals TO Press.
While the meeting was waiting for some
further word from the committee in order
TO determine the time 20 which the ad-
iournment should be taken. Mr. Hartman
picked up his chair, and carrying It to the
end OF the press table. sat down with the
remark: 81 think you gentlemen can do
more to settle the railroad situation than
anybody else"
when asked for an explanation. he said:
You can do It by refusing to print one
side OF proposition until you have seen
the man on the other side and let him
havo his say at the same time ] am
sick and most other men arc also sick OF
the continued attacks made on the rail-
roads when charges arc made against
railroad tho proper thing 70 do is refrain
from publishing them until the party bring
lug the charge 0nd- the Representatives CT
~ railroad have had conference with
Fporters Of tho press present. As such
things are now run the charges are printed
in the papers and the public receives a
wrong impression bc2arsa the railroad
side OF the question Is not given at the
same time. II is the first impression that
counts. Very often railroad is not able
20 make a reply for several weeks after
the charges have been brought, and the
dental is not then noticed because the
matter Is no longer fresh nows. The way
10 settle such things is to get together
at the outset an diet the charge and denial
go before the public at the same time.
This would do away with much Of ill-feel-
ing that Is now created against the rail-
roads.
Technical Violation OF Law.
IAN instance Of where the Southern Pa
eihc was guilty in a technical sense ofthe
,to1otion ~ tho law and was N fact on
tirely Eutless, is found In the trouble we
had when the Colorado river broke over it's
banks. We spent millions OF dollars en-
forcing the river back into its channel IT
was too big a Job for the government TO
tackle and we had to do It ourselves The
Colorado Development company. which did
the work. although We paid the bill. asked
for rate on the material which was TO be
used In damming up the river. The South
ern Pacific quoted to the company the same
rate Il charges against itself for the trans
portation OF It's own supplies. This was a
different rate from tho one legally estab-
lished for the handling Of such stun. We
were therefore guilty OF a violation of
law in fact. but we were entirely guiltless
IN spirt,
Many times charges have been brought
against the railroads which could be easily
explained asin this case. Il is only be-
cause the explanation Is not allowed TO be
promptly given that much ill-feeling is
treated against the railroads"
When asked II he had proposed this plan
to other railroad men. Mr.. Hartman said
that he had not, that he desired to find out
their view on the proposition before doing
so. He might take action, he said. within
TWO OF three months, but was not positive
lust what he would do.
Hunt for Proxies.
Before Il was definitely decided that the
proxy committee would not be able TO re-
port, the attorneys on both sides were
somewhat startled by the suggestion that
he transfer books OF the company were
tpen. when the stockholders meeting was
originally called. 4 was not thought &,
would last over one day, and the announce
nent that the books would beOpen again
m October L. After a hasty conference
was decided that there was a way IN
which the books could be closed today, and
was therefore decided that they should
)e allowed 20 remain open until O'Clock
n the AFTERNOON. when they were again
:losed until next Tuesday, at II a. m. Il
Was agreed between the attorneys that No
,nort should be adopted on either side tc
purchase stock during the day. At the
afternoon meeting. which lasted but a few
moments, n was at first proposed totslSe ar
Idjournement until 10 o'clock tomorrow
morning. The proxy committee, however
declared that 4 was In no way positive
hat Il would be ready TO report at that
ime. Upon motion OF Mr.. Cromwell, IN,
meeting then went over until ? o'clock ir
he afternoon,
The attendanoe today was much smaller
han yesterday, and only few people wer,
present when the analadjoumment toF IN,
lay was taken.
The general situation remains unchanged
Each sides claims that IL expects to con,
irol the meetng and each Is huntinE
earnestly for prOXies.or for the revocation
u proxies given. Mr. Hartman is credited
with sunicient confidence in the outcome q
sCOntiausd on second Psse5