The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-02-05

George w. r. Hartman, who. with
Charles Edward Hanks. is under fire for
not having satisfactorily done the work
they proposed for the Interstate Com
merce Commission regarding the compi-
lation Of facts to De used by the COM
mission in relation to the enforcement Of
the railroad rate laws. has issued a state
ment
In an Interview last night. he said.
Up to date Mr. Hanks. and / have re-
Trained from making any statement. All
the talking that has been done has come
from the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion and the gentlemen associated with
them, who have been under some criti-
cism. What has been said by them has
not been calculated TO do justice to our
side OF the case. The fact is. our side
OF the case was not before the jury. It
was only this evening that complete
statement was sent to the committee Of
experts, of which Mr.. Neil, Commissioner
OF Labor, is chairman. This statement
covers about twenty typewriter pages,
s nd takes up what We consider the sa-
lient points ia the three specific cases on
which we were asked to join issue.
All that has been said about an ex-
animation into the merits of our charges
amounts 70 this: The committee spent the
greater part of two days asking me cues
tons. / was put on the witness stand, as
II were and was not permitted to make
any full statement When their questions
had failed TO elicit anything convincing
10 them they reported that the charges
had fallen down. Now. the facts Of the
matter are these. No committee or
authorized individual has heard the whole
case.
Whole Subject Technical.
The subject is technical. and the whole
matter is one that requires study and
careful inquiry to master. At the same
time it does not require the services Of an
expert TO see from the evidence we pre-
scented that the figures and tables Of the
commission are either useless or nislead-
Ing as basis Of regulating rates. Mr.
Hanks and myself are willing TO wait for
the indications that viii come with time
The truth needs no vindication pre-
dict that time viii show what we have
conteuded is the truth.
In letter which sent this afternoon
70 the President 7 have called his atten-
zion TO exhibits which are on GIe. which
claim VIII prove the faIlacy Of the
merger rule, and the uniustifable and
misleading alteration Of sworn returns
made by editing.
CIassifications Wrong.
Further. because of the improper edit
Ing, freight revenues were padded and
there is a wrong classification Of mileage
Such an important thing as the length Of
the lines Of the companies reporting 10
the commission has never been published
by the commission. They have not even
CLASSIFIED the duplication OF tracks. Fey
Instance. the mileage IN the United States
Is 5,t9iS5. / asked the simple question
OF each Of the commissioners the total
length OF single track. and they answered
by referring TO the tables in their own re-
ports, that IL Is 2l22E20. having omitted
entirely the duplication referred 90. en-
bracing 663S miles OF trackage rights over
track already classified
IF the time and space were parnl+tas
there are many other points If evidence
that could be- submitted, showing that oar
criticisms were just"
Commerce Body Answers Sennte.
me interstate Commerce Commission
yesterday forwarded TO the Senate a re-
Spouse TO the Culbers0n resolution direct
Ing the commission 10 make a report on
the employment by it Of Mr. Hanks. The
document showed that ne was engaged
At the request 0f the President.
Accompanying the commissions report
was the letter addressed to Hanks by the
President, a statement Of Commissioner
Of Corporations Garfield and Commits
siOneT OF Labor Ncill concerning the at
tack upon the commissions statistical
work and upon the statistician. Henry c.
Adams, by Hanks and Hartman.
Commissioners Garfield and Neil. in
their statement. forwarded to the Presi-
dent few days ago. said. we find that
this charge was wholly unwarrantable
The report OF the commission trans
mtted 10 the Senate shows that Hanks
and Hartman were employed i'm the