The Washington herald., 1907-03-07
HARTMAN is HOPEFUL
CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE.

recognize that necessity. Then the GOV
eminent and the railroads can cooperate
and the public will be benefited.
Il was asked by the Interstate Com
merce Commission" Mr., Hartman went
on, what I regarded as the greatest
of my railroad exrerience
MY reply was that ] considered the
closing OF the break in the Colorado
River as the most remarkable achieve
ment OF recent history. IN the handling
of rock and stone our engineers made "a
record which is likely 10 stand for many
years to come. Temporarily, at least, the
Colorado River has been conquered. but.
like the Mississippi. i'm its delta region. it
VIII bear watching The people Of the
Imperial Valley are naturally greatly re-
Joiced at the successful work OF the en-
gineers of the Southern Pacific Rail
way"
Mr. Hartman closed his interview by
saying that the President, he believed,
had come 20 a realization of the necessity
of railroad and government cooperating,
and that he believed the President saw
the necessity Of legal combinations IN the
interests of cheaper transportation. Mr.
Hartman said ne had spent very pleas
ant week I'm Washington. He left for
New York last night.
Depew Suspects Something.
Senator Chauncey NJ. Depew returned
TO Washington last night from New York
where he went Tuesday 20 attend yes
terday's meeting Of the directors Of the
New York Central Railroad The Senator
and Mrs. Depew will 90 to Palm Beach
to-day for three weeks stay, and later
in the season viii go abroad.
The Senator denied that the New York
Central directors had sold to +. H. Har-
riman and H. c. Frick the Reading hold
ings Of the New York Central and Lake
/ Shore. No such question came up or
was referred to at our meeting" said he.
Asked u Mr.. Hartman had bought the
Reading, ho replied. y don't know. The
fact however, that the Reading stock
made such a remarkable advance would
indicate that something had happened,
wouldn't it,
Isn't it strange he continued, that
while other railroad securities In which
Mr.. Hartman is supposed TO be Interested
have steadily declined under The influence
Of Investigations and other attacks, the
Reading advances tremendously undeV the
influence Of a report that Mr. Hartman
has bought the road? II indicates the
panicky state of the market.
Radical Legislation Blamed.
Things are cTOssWlse i'm tile market.
There is general scare on. Il was
started by the radical legislation passed
and projected. and nobody can tell when
! il is going 20 end. People are beginning
10 wonder what is going 10 happen 10
their railroad investments. only the other
day two Of the wealthest women in
Washington came to me and inquired
whether they should not abandon a pro
posed trip to Europe and be prepared %
dispose Of their railroad stocks if the de-
cline continued. Both of them had been
heavy losers by the downward tendency
Of the market"
Discussing recent attacks on the rail
roads, Mr.. Depew said the agitation for
--ceut fares and the legislation along that
line would probably result IN The Will
drawaI Of the limited trains md give the
public poorer accommodations. The linn
/ tied trains were n0U being ru az loss
/ The Senator referred 90 che recent lecIs-
( latiou limiting the pay for railway m4u
service
The laws passed by ihe Fifty-u.ulh
/ Congress and the order issued by Alr.
Cortely3u on March o. while he was Post
master General, which affected MALL
weighing, viii cut deep into the surplus
Of many a railroad. and fin some instances
! lessen dividends II was dacl5ed TODAY
at our meeting that the order OF the
/ Postmaster General referred TO will de
mluish the compensation - ,he railroads
! for carrying the mails j. per cent. or
about s3f0WG10"