Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-08-12
HARTMAN In OMAHA
Will Build Headquarters When He
Gets the Money.
MORE MOTOR CARS ALL THE TIME
Proposes to Improve Facilities of the
Local Shops.
WANTS PEOPLE TO STUDY ROADS
Closer Mutual Relations Essential to
Satisfactory Results.
ANTS PEOPLE TO STUDY ROADS
PREDICTS SHORTAGE OF COAL
Defends Transportation COmpa ME,
Against Car Congestion Charge
Attends Church and Goes
West with Party.


"I am going to build the Union Pacific
| headquarters in Omaha when l get the
money, but beyond that / have nothing
| to say on the subject. We are building
more motor cars and propose to continue
to build them. They have demonstrated
beyond all doubt their value and gen.
eral utility and their place in the trans
portation world Is fixed so we will pro-
coed with the construction of these cars
/ in Omaha, but just what special extern
sion is to be made for this work l am
not prepared to announce"
This statement was made by e. II.
Hartman in Omaha yesterday. He and
! his party on their pleasure trip west had
| just stepped from one of the Mexican
motors which had taken them for a spin
to Gilmore and back.
| Mr.. Hartman is enthusiastic over the
motor cars, far more enthusiastic, IL ap-
pears, than he Is over the Union Pacific
headquarters. He was met he stepped
| from the motor at the Union station by
newspaper men and he greeted them with
this expression: well, have just made
a safe trip on the old Union Pacific and
1t is still all right" And when they
asked him when he was going to build
the headquarters he only smiled and
said when he got the money He didn't
say he was not going to build it.
Denies Chicago Interview.
Before we start out" said Mr.. Harri-
man, "let me ask you newspaper men
to do me favor. 1 noticed in the morn
ing papers where 1 am quoted in a press
dispatch from Chicago as having said
certain things there to a reporter yes
kArAg
interview to which 1 object or that l
might not have said, nor is there any
thing in IL that did say. The fact is
never saw q reporter in Chicago, nor
did a reporter see me. or If he dii l
didn't know 1t. i wish you would make
that plain. cannot see why newspaper
men will make me say things which i
do not. / generally meet the boys when
they come where 1 am"
Mr.. Harriman was asked II he was dis
turbed- over the talk OF, his. arrest and
criminal prosecution by the government.
~oh no. no, that's not worrying me
now; I'm resting and having my vaca-
tion now: haven't got time to worry"
he replied, smiling.
He declined to comment on the fine i'm
posed by Judge Lands on the Standard
Oil company. Of which he Ia a live factor
nor would he consent to discuss politics
or the action OF the government in deal
ing with certain corporate interests, hts
own in particular. Those were matters
which seemed to be resting lightly on MS
mind.
So Anticipates Coal shortage.
Asked II ne shared the apprehension CT
other railroad men as to the imminence
OF a coal shortage the coming winter,
Mr.. Hartman said;
"Yes, 1 think we shall have a coal short
age this winter"
due to what causes. Mr. Harrirna ?''
Due to the general increase in the con-
sumption OF coal by reason of the great
expansion OF all lines OF industries all
over the country and also to the fact that
some mines are not able to turn out as
much as they might because of a lack OF
labor. and then there is the shortage OF
freight cars to be reckoned in. And on
this car shortage want to say a word
in reply to the general charge that the
railroads are wholly to blame for car
shortage. The charge is unjust in many
cases. Numerous causes conspire to bring
about a shortage or congestion in cars
of which the people know nothing and
they are causes for which the railroads
are not responsible and cannot avoid
Here is an illustration, I think I have
used before. but never mind. it is apt
think. Last winter 1 went to Groton
Mass. where my boy attends school. While
there l lived in my private car, and as II
stood on the tracks in the railroad yards
] had occasion to watch the process OF
freight handling a good deal. One day
saw men with two single-horse carts un-
loading three cars OF coal on a siding. Al
one OF the cars they actually were screen
ing the coal as they unloaded it and were
as deliberate as II they had all winter and
cars were the most numerous things in
the world. Now, right on the other side
was a coal shed. That coal might have
and should have been unloaded directly
into that shed, but 1t was not. This slow
process of the carts was used and those
three cars were kept there and out OF
service about three times long as they
should have been or as was necessary II
you multiply that sort OF thing by the
number Of sidinGs in all the towns and
villages OF the United States you will
readily see that the railroads are not tc
blame. entirely, for car shortage. and will
understand what l mean when l say the
facilities of the railroads have overlapped
the facilities OF the shippers Yet the
railroads are asked to increase their facili-
ties to relieve this congestion. II the peo-
pie would stop to consider these problems
they would not be ready to condemn
the railroads for things which they are
not to blame ana cannot overcome, often
PFOsd of shOps In Omaha.
Returning to the motor car subject. Mr.
Hartman added;
you ask me what We are going to dc
toward eniArEing out facilities for the
construction Of meteor cars IN Omaha.
can't tell you minutely, but l think we
have done a great deal already in that
direction. We have established a plant
here where these cars are being made and
made with the very best results. 50 that
they give excellent service and attract ma
tional attention. We have a good ~ stem
OF shops In Omaha and along the Union
Pacific and are proud Of them. but OF
course. want 10 make them better all the
tima."
And turning to one of the reporters. he
asked:
How long have you been In omaha7''
Thirteen years" was the reply.
"Yesi well. you can appreciate than the