Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-08
| MERELY A DISCUSSION
No Decision Reached REGARDING
Trust Prosecution.
INVITE HOUSE CONFERENCE.
Interstate Commission Has Yet to Re
port.
HARTMAN DECLARED IMMUNE
Prosecution of the Anthracite Coal
Carrying Roads Will Probably
Begin Next Week.
HARTMAN DECLARED IMMUNE

A conference was held at the White House
last night.
1t was a notable gathering. Those pres
ent included Secretary of State Root, Sec
rotary of War Taft, Secretary of the
Treasury Cortelyou, Secretary of the In
terror Garfield, Chairman Knapp of the in
terstate commerce commission. Franklin
Lane, interstate commerce commissioner;
Frank b. Kellogg, special counsel for the
commission, and Attorney General Bona
parte.
The conference, as had been authoritative
ly stated earlier in the day. was for the
purpose of definitely settling the policy of
the administration in regard to the prose-
cution of the various trusts that have been
under discussion for months past, and espe
c.ally to settle whether criminal action
should be taken personally against +. H.
Hartman for his high financial manipula-
tons CT various railroad properties. 1t was
said that the President wanted to get all
this subject eff his hands SO that he would
he free and clear for the summer. and that
the wheels of justice, if set in motion, could
grind slow and small without his aid or in
reference.
The Official Announcement
Just what the conference accomplished
was indicated by the official statement that
was given out close to midnight, after the
conference dissolved 1t sad:
The conference was held for the purpose
of afording ample discussion concerning
TIE matters which have been under investi-
cation by the interstate commerce commits
sion. The interstate commerce commiss on
has rot yet formulated its report, and all
ot the discussion was OF purely prelmi-
nary kind. After report has been made
the Attorney General viii, of cou Sc care
fully consider it
There are, of course huge financial inter
ests involved in the decision of the govern
ment as TO what course, if any, shall be
taken against the trusts 1t was felt that
if vigorous action followed the conference,
such as has been characteristic of President
Roosevelt on most occasions, whether it has
been wise or not, the market would be
knocked into something the shape of con-
tinental Cnapeau. On the other hand, If the
conference issued calming reassuriag
statement it would doubtless have the eff
feet of sending the value OF securities up.
But the conference followed neither CT these
courses.
This much of the meeting is generally
understood. The discussion covered a wide
range, dealing with everything in the trust
line from L. H. Hartman. personally, to
the Harvester combine. There were two
parties to the discussion, for vigorous
action, the other for delay and further in
vestigation.
Hartman Declared Immune.
The conclusion was ultimately reached
that however damaging the evidence
might be against Mr.. Hartman, the~testi-
mony he had given in the interstate COM
merce investigation had given him complete
immunity. from criminal prosecution.
Commissioner Knapp explained. that he
had not completed his investigation, and
that therefore he was not prepared to give
a definite opinion as to the sufficiency of
the evidence to warrant the government in
instituting at this time suit to nullify the
Alton deal AS soon as the interstate COM
merce commission has completed it's hear
ing in the case report will he made to
the Attorney General, who will at that time
take charge OF the matter and determine
what, If any, action shall be taken. 1t is
not expected, therefore, that any proceed
ings will actually be begun for some time.
Prosecution of the Coal Roads.
The question of the prosecution of the
bitumnous coal carrying railroads was
discussed at some length but the
matter was finally left in the hands
OF the Attorney General for such action as
he might see fit to take. No instructions to
bring suit were given him, and there ap-
pears to be some question as to whether
any action will be taken in the immediate
future.
The prosecution of the anthracite coal
carrying roads will in all proba bility be
begun in Philadelphia within the next week
The coal roads involved include the Della
ware, Susquehanna and Schuylkill, the
Philadelphia and Reading, the Lehigh VAL
ley, the Delaware and Hudson, the New
York, Susquehanna and Western, the Del
aware, Lackawanna and Western, the Cen
tral Railroad of New Jersey and the Erie
The Pennsylvania and one or two other
roads may become involved as the suit pro-
crosses, but at this time no formal com
plant will be filed against them.
Following the general conference Attor-
ney General Bonaparte remained with the
President to discuss the so-called harvester
trust. 1t is thought not unlikely that the
question of prosecution of that orpaniza ton