Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-29
personal INVESTIGATIONS
New System Of Still Hunting Devised
by President.
Used GOVERNMENT FUND
Inside History Of the Hanks-Harri
man Descent Upon the Interstate
Commerce Commission.

Nothing has yet been sent forward by the
interstate commerce commission in response
to the Senate demand for information as to
the connection of Mr.. c. 8. Hanks with the
interstate commerce commission and the
rate problem. 1t will not take much time or
trouble to collect the information, owing to
the fact that the whole staff of the commits
sion Is only too we'll aware Of that gentle
mans meteOric career in Washington. But
when it will be sent to the Senate Is an
other question. as there is only one member
of the commission now in Washington and
it is possible that he may deem 1t desirable
to go over the matter with his colleagues
before making an official reply to the reso-
luton. 1t was impossible today to learn
anything definite from the chairman of the
commission as to the length of Mr.. Hanks
sojourn in Washington or when the re-
Spouse would be sent forward to the Sem
ates demand for Information.
AS was stated in The Star yesterday, the
demand for this information was made by
the Senate in compliance with resolution
from Senator LCulberson. Mr. Hanks mad
been addressing the Boston chamber OF
commerce on the subject of railroad rates
and railroad regulation. and, like the parrot
with the bulldog he appears to have talked
not wisely but too much. He boosted that
he had been employed at the interstate
commerce commission for quite awhile. and
had spent a great deal of good government
money in proving that railroad rates could
be reduced 10 per cent without hurting the
dividend paying qualities OF the stock
Announcement of Mr.. Hanks.
This announcement Of Mr.. Hanks was the
first Intimation that many Of the senators
had received that MIR. Hanks was ever em-
ployed by the interstate commerce commits
sion, or that there had been such an in
quiry going forward as he alluded to. But
to some of the other senators it was an old
story. 1t was another case of personal
inquiry by one of the Presidents personal
friends. what some of the senators alluded
to as a ''gum-shoe expedition" through the
federal departments. The only difference In
the case of Mr.. Hanks seems to have been
that while he was a personal friend and
classmate of the President. like James B.
Reynolds of beef inquiry fame. he either did
not have as much money as Mr.. Reynolds
or was more thrifty, and he made his per
sonal inquiry into railroad rates at the
expense of the government.
He was sent down to the interstate COM
merce commission with orders from the
President to turn the railroad problem III
side out and shake it if he so desired. ne
was engaged on the inquiry four or five
months. and during that time had access
to all Of the books. the records and the
tariffs and clerks placed at his disposal to
by friend. G. W. R. Hartman. whb from
his name, might be supposed to know sOme-
/ thing about the railroad business; butt 1t is
sa;i that as a matter of fact, Hartman
was no relative of Edward of the same ilk.
He and Hanks had theory between them
that freight rates could be reduced fiat
10 per cent all round without hurting the
railroads. They started in with the presi-
Dental approval to work up facts bearing
out this theory; but they did not seem to
make good on their inquiry. Their system
of accounting did not agree with that of the
interstate commerce. commission.
Seemed to Think He Had Made Good.
Mr. Hanks. according to his Boston
speech. seemed to think that he had made
good, and if the expersts of the commission
did not agree with him that was merely
owing to their ignorance. Most of the fore
going information has already been dis
seminated about the Capitol and a number
OF the senators are considerably wrought
I'D over this renewed exposure of the per
sonal inquiry system that the President
has instituted.
There are reports of similar inquiries in
some of the other departments. . 1t Is
known that after James B. Reynolds fin
ished up his Chicago Packingtown inquiry
he was sent to New York by the Presi-
dent and oyerhauled the III immigration
other similar inquiries in the Department
of Commerce and Labor and has also made
an investigation into slum conditions in
Washington and the cost Of living here.
What is annoying Congress is that they
do not know where the personal inquiry"
mania is going to break out next. The
Hanks incident. where government funds
were used in the inquiry, may or may not
be the only case Of the sort, but there Is
no assurance that this Is 80. There Is an
uncomfortable suspicion in the minds Of
a good many congressman that there are
other .gum-shoe expeditions going
through some of the other departments,
and it Is quite likely that there will be
enough trouble stirred UP over the Hanks
tic 10