Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-04-19
TO COMPEL ANSWERS.

III AND w LIlC.
At last the Interstate Commerce
Commission has decided that it will
apply to the circuit court of the state
of New York for authority to compel
E. H. Hartman to answer the ques
tions that he refused to answer when
he was on the witness stand in New
York. This on the face of it may
not De very important decision. 1t
will have no particular effect on the
question of civil or criminal pros
ecution. But it will probably ruin
Mr. Hartman as railroad promoter
if the decision of the court is against
him and in favor of the commission.
1t is for this reason: The questions
he evaded in the New York inquiry
were how much private interest he
had in the STOCK of the Southern
| Pacific when the Union Pacific bought
that stock fol the purpose of owning
the competing road. The question i'll
connection with the Alton was IN the
same direction. The commission
wanted to know how much of the stock
of the Alton Mr.. Hartman bought
before he turned over to the stock
holders reorganization syndicate, how
much he held in the syndicate and
how much, if any, Re now holds and
at what price his various holdings
were bought and sold.
The fnancier refused to answer these
questions on the ground that they
were his private transactions, bluntly
that it was none of the commission s
business. This might seem so on
first view. But it has very peril
nent bearing on the manipulation of
the several roads under the Hartman
management. 1t is believed that
an answer to these questions would
show that Hartman had profited
vastly by the several railroad deals,
that he had skinned most of his part
ners as we'll as the public, and it
would ruin his chances as a promoter
in the future. 1t is of little moment
to the big ones in New York that a
fellow promoter loots railroad or
gets the best of the general public in
deal But it is very different
thing when they find that they have
been "wh1psawed" themselves anu
their partner in a deal has bought
cheaper and sold dearer to them than
they had any reason to suspect. Mr..
Hartman fortune, vast as it is,
will net yet suffice unaided for buy
ing and selling whole transcontinental
lines, and if his business associates
find reason to fight shy of him, his
career as a promoter is perilously near
done.
For this reason there will be hot
legal fight over the demand that Mr..
Hartman answer the questions of the
Commission. Whichever party is
beaten in the New York court will
be sure to appeal Immediately to the
Supreme Court of the United States.
There is no chance Of getting hear
ing for it before the court meets for
the October session. Then at the
request of the Attorney General the
case may be made special and set
forward for an early hearing. But
the decision can hardly be looked for
before the middle of the coming winter.
1t will have no effect, however, on
the question of prosecution of MIR.
Hartman under the anti trust law.
There is already material enough to
warrant report to the Department
of Justice and the question of pros
ecution and the nature of it, whether
it shall be civil or criminal. will be
left to the Attorney General. This
report cannot be made in less than
month.