Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-10-18
BUSY COUNTING
ILL. CENTRAL
PROXIES
STOCKHOLDERS ADJOURN
TO AWAIT RESULTS
Hartman Confident of Victory
Declares Square Deal From
Newspapers Would Help
Solve Railroad Problem,

Chicago. oct. l7.-unul three men
who are locked In room assiduously
counting proxies are able to report to
the stockholders Of the Illinois Gem
trail railroad, there will be no election
OF directors. Twice today the stock
holders assembled, only TO be told that
the proxy inspectors were not pre-
pared to report Adjournment was
taken until tomorrow at o'clock.
While the meeting was waiting, Mr..
Hartman walked over to the press
table and remarked:
II think you gentlemen can do more
To settle this railroad situation than
anybody else"
When asked for an explanation he
said
You can do II by refusing to print
one side of a proposition until you
have seen the man on the other side
and let him have his say at the time.
| am sick, and most other men are
sick. Of continued attacks made on the
railroads. when charges are made
against q railroad the proper thing
to do is to refrain from publishing
they until the party bringing the
VIM k'H hhh AuN t'HifNtiAAiliN VI Aio
railroad have had a conference with
representatives OF the press present.
As such things are now run the
charges are printed In the papers. and
the public receives wrong impressions
because the railroad side of the ques-
tion is not given at the same time, Il
Is the first impression that counts.
Very often a railroad ls not able to
make a reply for several weeks after
the charges have been made, and the
denial is not then noticed because the
matter Is no longer fresh news The
way to settle such things In 10 get to-
gethor az the outset and lei the charge
and denial go before the public at the
same time This would do away with
much of the IN feeling that IL now
created against the railroad "An in
stance of where the Southern Pacific
was guilty In technical sense OF the
violation Of the law and was In fact
entirely gulltless. IN found in the trou-
Bile we had -when the Colorado river
broke over It's banks. We spent mill
lions OF dollars in forcing the river
back into Its channel II 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 mate
rial which was TO be used In damning
the river The Southern Pacific quot
ed TO the company the same rate II
charges against itself for the trans
portation OF its own supplies. This
was different rate from the one le-
truI fn q. -.
We are therefore guilty Of viola
ton OF the law In fact, but we were
entirely guiltless In spirit.
MANY times charges have been
brought against the railroads which
could be as easily explained as In this
case. II is only because the explana-
ton IN not allowed TO be promptly
given that so much III feeling Is Great
ed against the railroads"
When asked II he had proposed this
plan to other railroad men. MIR Harri-
man said that he had not. that he de-
sired TO find out their view on the
proposition before doing so.
Before II was definitely announced
that the proxy committee would not
be able 20 report. the attorneys on
both sides were somewhat startled BY
the suggestion that the transfer books
Of the company were now open When
the stockholders meeting was orig
inally called II was not thought that
u would last over one day. and the
announcement was made that the
books would be open again on October
II. After q hasty conference " wa-
decided that there was no way in
which the books could be closed to-
day. and 10 was therefore decided that
they should be allowed to remain
open until 3 o'clock in the afternoon
when they were again closed until
next Tuesday al N a. m. II was
agreed between the attorneys that no
effort should he made on either side
to purchase stock during the day.
The situation remains unchanged.
Both sides claim they expect 10 con-
troll the meeting and both are hunting
earnestly for proxies or for the revo-
cation % proxies previously given
Mr. Hartman II credited with suf-
ncient confidence In the outcome 10
have offered directorshlp 90 a prom
inent banker of this city