Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-06-13
SHERMAN ANTI
TRUST LAW is
A DEAD LETTER
WILL BE GOVERNED
IN FUTURE BY INTERSTATE
COMMERCE REGULATIONS -
HARTMAN SAFE
Washington Bureau Of
The OttumWa Courier

Washington Bureau OF
The Ottumwa Courier
Washington, D. c., June IL.
The recent conference of President
Roosevelt and members of the cabinet
and interstate commerce commission
oveg the question Of prosecutions UNI
der the Sherman antitrust law with
especial reference to the smashing
of 3. H. Hartman and his railroad
combination has served to make it
clear that new era has arrived in
the matter of the relations Of the gov
eminent to the railroad systems of the
country
It has become plain. in the first
place, that tho Sherman antitrust law.
as applied to railroads, is in effect a
dead letter, thing Of the past. In
the future, the railroads will be gov
erned not by this law, but by the in
terstate commerce laws, including the
Elkins law against rebating and dis
ordinations and such notifications as
congress may MAIZE later In the way
Of regulation OF capitalization and the
like.
Let Hartman Down Easy.
In all probability the administration
will make nothing more than a per
functory attempt to break UP any of
the Hartman combinations under the
Sherman law, IL 1t makes any at all.
1t is still stoutly maintained in adj
ministration circles that Hartman will
| the change of heart on the subject
of dealing out cold justice to the Union
Pacific magnate is SO apparent that
ky,N,, I, 10 Z r1.< 80 A.
to the table before anyone in Wash
ington seriously believes Hartman is
to be subjected to much disturbance
Along this line, 1t may be said that
1t looks now very doubtful whether
President Roosevelt will go to the
lengths that were at one time pre-
dicted in dealing with the Hill roads
| The attack on Hartman has been
made less strenuous on account OF
"the public good" That is, the Presi-
dent has been subjected to the most
extreme pressure in the effort to con-
vince him that to follow out the plan
of breaking UP the Hartman combina-
ttons would be ruinous to business. 1t
is less the law thap policy that has
been consulted in relation to Harri-
man. Likewise, there are strong indt-
cation that the administration will
tread gingerly when It comes to deal.
ing with James j. Fill and his lines.
Many weeks ago, the administration
directed that an investigation be be-
gun to determine whether the Great
4 Northern, the Northern Pacific and
the Burlington, which had been dig
I solved as a merger by the supreme
court decree in the Northern securi.
ties case, were not in fact combined
in such way as to be in contempt Of
the decision of the highest judicial
tribunal. Judge John A. Lovely OF
Minnesota was set to work to uncover
the inwardness Of the relations of the
Hill lines. One day, about a month
ago, it is said Judge Lovely had got
i sick. The Investigation halted and has
not since been taken up. There is nc
official announcement or admission
that the Hill investigation has beer
abandoned but the signs are not favor
able for its being carried to conclu
sion.
J: indianapolis Speech Toned Down.
J, Beginning months before the Indian
apolis speech, the President was urg
!, ed by railroad men and politicians thai
| II more conservative course was mo-
, taken by the administration In respec
. to railroads, widespread business de
preston would result and, perhaps.
panic Of gigantic proportions At on.
time, the President seriously consid
cred making an address at Indianapo
lis much more radical than the reas
J surfing one he finally did make. Fo
one thing, he contemplated calling 70
immediate valuation of the railroad
, by a commission. Ultimately h,
abandoned this idea and spoke merel,
for a physical valuation of the road
when deemed necessary by the inter
state commerce commission. From
one source after another the Presiden
, was advised to go slow and the recen
: White house conference presented tn
remarkable spectacle of every law OF
: ficer IN the cabinet and the head O
: the interstate commerce commissio,
counseling policy of down brakes,
q To break UP the Hartman comb,
3 nations, the President was told woul
:, cause a nationwide business and rail
) road upheaval. Commissioner Lam
a who has worn an aggressive front to
e ward Hartman, was lukewarm an
o the only man who really seemed t
favor sweeping attack on Harrima
was Judge Frank 3. Kellogg. specis
O counsel for the interstate commerc
!, commission. With the exception {
!. Judge Kellogg, practically everyone {
n the Presidents advisers saw red light
: ahead in business and financial sens
: If the attack on Hartman was persist
a ed in.
n The Hill Lines.
. The Hill lines are over 10000 mile
n In extent. with a combined capital
: nearly s900,00G000, not to mention I'll
s150,000,000 Of ore certificates recent
W distributed to Great Northern share
!. holders In other words, the allege
! Hill merger has over billion dollai
: capital. 1t is difficult to see naw tn
l. system can be attacked without fina,
a cial disturbance any more readily tbs
,e the Hartman system can be attacke
: In other words, it would seem incol
l. sistent to let up on the application
"a the Sherman law to the Harrinls
k system, as the administration shows {
l. the symptoms Of doing, and procee
III rigidly to apply it to the Hill line
,r providing questions of policy and n
of law are to dictate as seems to
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