Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-07
HARRIMAN'S WARNING
PREDICTS HARD TINES UNLESS
PUBLIC SENTIMENT CHANGES.
Asserts That Tactics Toward the Rail-
roads and Corporate Interests
Should Be Altered.


who has been in Washington since last
Friday, last night granted a farewell inter-
view to fifteen newspaper men, announcing
at that TIME that he would return to New
York today and stop talking for publication.
Mr.. Hartman discussed transportation
problems, railroad legislation, the tariff, the
currency question, the attitude Of the public
toward the railroad corporations and the
probability of panic in the future.
II notice that the afternoon papers say
that the New York Central holdings and
those Of the old Wasserman pool In the
Reading railway were taken over last night.
This is not true. I have not purchased
single share Of railroad stock since / have
been in WASHINGTON" He refused to an
swer the direct question as to whetner ne
had obtained control Of the Reading.
AS to the currency and tariff Mr. Harrl-
man said:
II think that the currency and tarin
questions should be settled in more den.
mite way before Congress and the present
administration devote SO much precious
time to regulating the railroads. The inter-
ests Of the country demand tnat mere
should be some modification OF the tarin,
but since we have no Mckinley or Dingiey
I fear that the prospect for such legisia-
ton is not very encouraging. the Unlteo
States will not always enjoy the prosperity
that has prevailed during the last DECADE.
Congress and the people change their tao
tics toward the railroads and corporate IN
terests."
As an argument against the tendency for
a wholesale reduction in railroad rates, MI
Hartman called attention to the increased
cost Of everything that enters into the
maintenance of railroads. Even money Is
higher" he said, than 1t has been at any
time in the last ten years. This is just the
same to the railroads as If the cost OF
labor and material is raised.
Urges Closer Harmony.
Admitting that the railroads to great
extent are responsible for the hostile move
country, Mr.. Harmon said that the only
way to solve the problem was for the gov
eminent and the great corporate interests
to get into closer harmony and try to bring
about solution that will be to the interests
Of the government and to the railroads as
well.
Mr. Hartman commended the stand taken
by President Roosevelt in a recent message
to Congress when he advocated "recipro-
cal agreement" between the government
and the railroads 1T was very bold and
stand for the President to take"
said the railroad magnate, land the only
thing for the administration to do is to
give us law that will legalize our COM
bnes.'
Conquering the Colorado River.
When shown the dispatch announcing
that another storm had broken out over
the Salton sea and that the Southern Pa
cific tracks are under water, Mr.. Hartman
said
That reminds me that l was asked today
by one of the interstate commerce COM
missioners what 1 regarded as the greatest
achievement in my railroad experience. My
reply was that l considered the closing of
the break in the Colorado river on Febru-
airy II as the most remarkable achievement
of recent history.
I'm the handling of rock and stone our
engineers made record which is likely
to stand for many years to come. The
time actually consumed in making the
closure was fifteen days and two hours,
during which interval 1900 cubic yards Of
rock, gravel and clay were handled.
Temporarily, at least, the Colorado has
been conquered, but like the Mississippi
river in its delta region, 1t will bear watch
ing always.
If the storm reported today results in
another break 1 will do the work over
again with the determination that when
completed the work will be an even greater
achievement than that accomplished in
February