The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-08-16
IS
AFTER ALL H
RAILROADS
Frankly Admits His Ambi-
tiOn--May Tell Of Alton
Deal if Court So Orders.

RENO, New, Aug. 16.-'An of the
railroads in the country would be mine
if 1 could get control of them. said
Edward H. Hartman on his arrival
at Sparks, New, the division terminal.
yesterday, In the course of an inter-
view during which he discussed HIS
work and his ambitions.
II have been quoted seriouslv for a -
expression made jocularly to the effect
that / would manage the railroads for
the Federal Government, that I wnuId
urn my holdings over to the United
States for a fair compensation. and
then act as a commissioner" Mr.. Har-
riman continued. But I am mis-
understood. The time has not come
for Federal ownership. Personally.
with all the lines in my possession, l
would be better suited"
Remarking that, since Mr.. Harri-
man does not yet own all the railroads
of the country, a statement of his
policy, in the light of the renewed agi-
tation for more drastic regulation by
the Federal Government with respect
to those he does own would be of in
t%erest, the reporter asked:
What is your policy concerning the
management CT the railroads that we
are old you own?"
1T is to pay dividends came the
prompt answer. "Since 1898 we have
spent $500, 900, 600 for improvements.
We want some returns. Don't you
think we are entitled to returns from
such an expenditure? Mine, then, is
a financial policy; l watch that end of
the game. Other matters are left to
the officials concerned with them
There is not much to that policy ex-
cepting to make a good investment
better. Results-They bring success.
Agitation of the abuses on the rail-
roads makes harder the accomplish
ment of local improvements. Facts
that in themselves are insignificant
are magnifed and distorted by the
public mind until they become harm
full to the interests of he public ana
to us. 1t is the spirit of the age
and the newspapers-so, what can we
do?"
why did you not answer the ques,
lions put to you by the Interstate
Commerce Commission, and will you
answer them when the proceedings
brought by the Department of Justice
force you to appear for the second
l1iilC lie ICpOt lSl dShcu.
81 refused to tell what l knew about
the Chicago and Alton purchase be-
cause the questions put to me dealt
with matters of policy Mr.. Hartman
replied. Some of them 1 would not
answer any more thar you would if
asked from whom you bought your
suspenders or how much you paid for
your shirt. 1 could not be specific in
answering all the questions in justice
to my associates in the purchase.
But, now that the proceedings have
been started to get these replies, (
will probably not refuse again. In
quiries directed at me in connection
with the Chicago and Alton case will
perhaps result in the answers desired
by the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion. 1t was a business principal in
volved that prevented me from an
swering questions. 1 may answer
when the matter up4again."
In closing the interview, Mr.. Harri-
man declared that in the future the
policy of his roads in the matter OF
rates, extensions, ETC., will be to de-
yelop the State of Nevada and the en-
tire Western territory, through both
the north and south lines. Mr.. Harri-
man positively declined to discuss poll
tics. Continuing, he said that a
Francisco was the natural tidewater
terminal on the Pacific Coast and
nothing could dislodge her from that
position.