Los Angeles herald., 1907-08-16
HARTMAN
WANTS ALL
WOULD CONTROL AMERICAS
TRANSPORTATION
"MY POLICY is TO MAKE ROADS
PAY DIVIDENDS"
"Time Not Yet Ripe for Federal Own
ership," He Says, ~ Would
Prefer to Own
Myself"
I;y Associated Press.

By Associated Press.
RENO, Aug. 15.-"All the railroads in
the country will be mine II 1 could get
control of them" said Edward H. Harri-
man to the Nevada State Journal on his
arrival in Sparks, Nevada, today In the
course of an interview in which he dis
cussed his work and his ambitions.
"I have been quoted seriously for an
expression made jocularly to the effect
that 1 would manage the railroads for the
federal government, that l would turn my
holdings over to the United States for a
fair compensation, and act then as com
missioner" Mr.. Hartman continued, but
am misunderstood.
THE time has not come for federal
ownership. Personally with all the lines
in my possession, would be better
suited"
Remarking that since he does not yet
own all the railroads of the country a
statement of his policy in the light OF re-
newed agitation for more drastic regula-
ton by the federal government with re-
spect to those he does own would be of
interest, the reporter asked:
what is your policy concerning the
management of the railroads that we are
told you own?"' :,
came the decisive answer.
'Since 1898 we have spent $3000O0,0OO for
improvements. We want some returns.
Don't you think we are entitled to re-
turns after such an expenditure! Mine,
then. is a financial policy. / watch that
end of the game. Other matters are iett
to the officials concerned with them
There is not much to that policy eX-
oeptng to make good. investment petter.
n hrin
Agitation flinders
"Agitation of the abuses of the rail-
roads makes harder the accomplishment
of local improvements, facts that in
themselves are insignificant are magnl-
fed and distorted by the public mind un-
til they become harmful to the interests
of the public and to us. 1t is the spirit
of the age and the newspapers, so what
can we do?"
"Why did you not answer the ques-
tions put to you by the interstate COM
merce commission, and will you answer
them when the proceedings brought by
the department of justice force you to
appear for the second timer" the re-
| porter asked.
"I refused to tell what 1 knew about
the Chicago & Alton purchase because
| the questions put to me dealt with mat
] ters of policy" Mr. Hartman replied.
! Some of them l would not answe
! any more than would you if asked
where you bought your suspenders ol
how much you paid for your shirt.
could not, to be specific. answer all the
questions in justice to my associates In
the purchase.
But now that proceedings have beer
started to get these replies, l will prob
ably not refuse again. Inquiries directed
at me in the Chicago & Alton case will
perhaps result in the answers desired by
the commerce commission.
"It was a business principle involved
that prevented me from answering ques-
tions. 1 may answer when the matter
comes up again."
Declaring that in the future the policy
of his roads, in the matter Of rates, ex-
tensions, ETC., will be to develop Nevada,
and the entire western territory, both
through the north and south lines. Mr..
Hartman positively declined to discuss
politics. Continuing he said:
"San Francisco is the natural tide
water terminal on the Pacific coast and
nothing can dislodge her from that posi-
ton. The railroads and the capital cen
ter there, and despite the efforts toward
that end, neither Seattle, Oakland nor
any other city will ever be able to de-
stroy San Franciscos paramouncy."