The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-23
Investigation Disclosures May
Mean Antitrust Proceedings
TO Be RESUMED APRIL 4
When the Railroad Magnate Expected
to Go to ashinaton-InVesti-
gators Now In Consuta-
tion In ST. Paul.
BY WATTERsoN sTEALEY.

Washington, March 22.-(Specal)-E
ward II. Hartman is confronted with the
crisis of his career as a railway factor.
The crucial question is now whether the
disclosures before the interstate commerce
commission in the Investigation OF the
Hartman system are sufficient to war
rant legal antitrust proceedings under
the laws and constitution of Ilipois Two
weeks hence the investigation Will be
resumed in Washington at the point
where it ceased the last Of February.
after Mr. Hartman gave his testimony in
New York. The date set for the resump-
tion of the Investigation is Thursday,
April t. and it is thought that Mr. Harri-
man will then come to Washington. The
commission, before the conclusion of its
New York sessions, called for a number
of important statements to be furnished.
Messrs. Frank b. Kellogg and Charles a.
Severence, the commissions investigators.
who have been in charge Of the gov-
ernments probing, are now IN consulta-
tion in st. Paul, and when the hearing Is
again taken up they will announce to the
commission whether they desire to have
any other testimony taken for the gcv-
ernment.
Meanwhile the railroad attorneys repre-
senting the Hartman interests have not
yet decided whether they will want to Of
fer any testimony in rebuttal As the
case stood when the New York sessions
were over, the Hartman lawyers we're not
desirous of submitting any testimony
Fhey viii make up their mind finally as
to the adVisability of offering testimony
In rebuttal when they learn what the
government intends to do in the matter
Judge Lovett of the Hartman lawyers
has asked to be heard in argument be-
fore the commerce commission, and that
Will be one of the principal things taken
up after al 1.-The testimony is in the hands
of the commission.
Judge Lovett will argue The facts thus
far obtained have shown no violation of
any laws. There are number OF phases
of the Investigation, but during the past
/ few weeks the Alton deal has been given
| the most prominence in the public mind.
| This has been due to the fact that the
Alton deal involves the question of In
fiation and capitalization, and has
| been given emphasis to on account of
the recent furry on Wall street, the visit
of Governor Deneen to Washington, the
fact that President Roosevelt has pretty
thoroughly made up his mind In favor of
legislation to prevent oVer-capltalization,
and the discussion of stock watering by
Hoke Smith of Georgia ana others in
public addresses. The Alton deal Is how
ever, only a branch of the whole nVes-
tigation. There are several other feat
ures of the system equally as important
as the Alton deal, even IL they have been
overshadowed by the discussion by the
latter. The primary question involved Is
neither the consultations and cUmbina-
tions of carriers into the Hartman sys-
tenn, the relations between the carriers.
their community of interests of their
rates, their facilities their practices COR
sutute a monopoly in restraint Of trade
in violation of the Sherman law. or
whether they involve violations of the in
terstate commerce law There is a strong
impression here that the department Of
justice will be asked to consider the tes-
timony with a view to initiating pro-
ceedings similar in intent to these which
former Attorney General Knox inaugu-
rated in tho Northern Securities case.
This has not been formally determined
yet by the commission, end it would be
entirely ndiscreet for the commisSon to
announce its intentions in the matter in
advance of tile completion Of the nVest-
cation and the hearing of argument for
and against the Hartman interests. The
roads of the Hartman system involved in
the investigation are the Union Pacific,
the Southern Pacific, the Oregon Short
Line, the Oregon Railway and Navlga-
ton company and the Chicago and Alton
railroad. This comprises the system con-
trolled by the Hartman crowd The COM
mission Is also paying close attention to
the interests Of the Hartman system In
the Illinois Central and the Rock Island
roads. The Hartman system has joint
ownership in the Rock Island ard stock
I'm the Illinois Central.