The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1907-05-23
HARTMAN,
The ARCH=OFFENDER.
Stay Of Proceedings on Account of Fear
of Injury to Business-A Fearful In.
dictment OF Harriman-H0w II Became
PubIic-The Standard Oil Company's
"Predatory" Tactics : Recommended
items for Litigation and Legislation.

SuS oil the railroad WoTlu. Is tle Au
| ministration playing into his hands by
delay? Some people think so.
Some one at the Interstate Commerce
Commission a few Gays ago handed to
| a newspaper correspondent printed
pamphlet. There were only 10 copies
| of il in existence, and those were sup
posed to be in the hands of the seven
Commissioners and confidential en-
ploye or two. Statements vary as to
just what the pamphlet was, altho there
| is no dispute about its contents. In
certain quarters 1t is contended that the
pamphlet waSsthe report the Commits
sion intends to adopt on its investiga-
ton of the Hartman lines-the Union
Pacific, the Southern Pacific, the Alton.
etc. Certainly the Commission had not
adopted this report formally. Others
say the pamphlet was only statement
prepared by Frank b. Kellogg and
Charles A. Severance, special attorneys,
and was even no more than summing
up of the features of the investigation.
AT first the report drawn by these at
| torneys was poo-pooed as containing
nothing new. as stale matter.
For stale matter it raised a lot of
| trouble. The Commissioners began to
search for the leak They held one
session of an hour, at the conclusion of
which they soemnly announced that
the pamphlet was not their report but
simply the recommendations of the at
torneys which the Commission had not
passed upon. The following day they
met in concIave again. and for an hour
and half questioned the newspaper
men who had had the scoop" The
Commissioners tried in vain TO ascer-
tain who had given out the report.
1t is said that this pamphlet was to
be given to The public soon after Presi-
dent Roosevelt's Indianapolis speech.
He may have something to say about
railroads aud railroad legislation in that
speech. but it has been claimed that he
wanted the report on Hartman TO fol-
low what he said, and hence the Presi-
dents keen displeasIIre. He is decided
| ly influential with the Interstate Com
merce Commissioners. most of whom
dance attendance upon the White
House, instead of being an independent
body. as Congress intended ii should be.
1t is known that the President wants
Harriman's scalp, is willing to embarrass
| the masnate personally just as much as
he can. altho checked in this crusade
| by fears lest he proceed too vigorously
| against The big Hartman pro pertjes and
stimulate business unrest
There is good reason for believing
| that one of the Commissioners gave out
| the pamphlet, and that he was inspired
| to do il because of his silent dissent
from the Presidents policy in such
matters This Commissioner is credited
| with the opinion that the body of which
he is member should go about its
| business in its own way, reach its con-
illusions and promulSate Them in dig
nified manner, just az a court would do.
For the Interstate Commerce Commits
| sion now regards itself as a court. and
hands down its decisions in much the
| same fashion that Il court does
Drastic Document,
The report against Hartman, as
drawn by Attorneys Severance and Kel-
logg. is drastic document 1t puts the
great magnate in anything but de-
sirabe light. shows that he and those
| leagued with him control the railroads
| in about one-third of the area of the
United States. chiefly in the West,
where, according 10 the attorneys, 1t is
! impossible to build or operate an indie
pendent line of road Language could
hardly be more condemnatory notwith-
standing reports in some newspapers
| that Interstate Commerce Commission
er Lane, the Presidents right-hand
man. is now going over il carefully for
the purpose of putting some teeth
into. II shows that Hartman and his
| lieutenants control the Union and
Southern Pacific the Chicago & Alton,
the Illinois Central. the Rock Island,
the Santa Fe the San Pedro e. Los An
geles and certain lines along the north
coast of California.
Their methods in acquiring this con-
troll are scored Elk Senator Clark, the
copper king. who started to build the
great line from Salt Lake City to Los
Angeles, was held UP as tho he had
been in the hands Of highwaymen. Har-
riman Is credited with threats to paral-
| lei every mile of his road. Finally a
traffic agreement with the Clark line
was secured. but the Union Pacific first
purchased half of the stock in that line
and now, according 10 the report, owns
! all the stock.
] Hartman started in with forceful
methods to secure control of the Santa
Fe, which also runs thru far southwest
ern territory He and those operating
with him secured by purchase a suffi-
cient share of the Santa Fe stock tC
force the election of two Union Pacific
| directors on the Santa F'e Board. Their
the Southern Pacific and the Santa FL
began to develop the Northwestern Pa
cific, new line to be built in part and
to consist in part of lines already built
The two interests were to alternate ir
the control of this property. The high
handed manipulation of the Alton
property. by which the capitalization
was increased 1000 per mile, with.
out one dollar of consideration" is de
tailed The Union Pacific and the Roct
Island operated together in putting
thru that grand robbery scheme. The
frenZied manipulation by which Harri
man secured absolute control of tn,
Illinois Central is likewise told in thi:
report.
Recommendations for Legislation ant
Litigation.
| An important feature of this highl!
interesting document is its recommen
dations for litigation and also for legis
lation. These are claimed by some crit
les to intrench upon the President
prerogatiVes and upon the pFerogative
of the Department of Justice. AS 70
litigation the report recommends tina
a suit he instituted to compel the Unior
Pacific to dispose of the majority of tn
; Southern Pacific stock, that contrac
by which the Union Pacific and tn
Rock Island are guaranteed control il
alternate years of the Chicago & Alton
be dissolved, this control suppressinI
competition with the Illinois Central
and that several other suits of lik
character be begun 1t is claimed tina
the part of the Interstate Commerce
5 Commission was only to compile tn
evidence and turn it over to the De
e partment Of Justice, where the Attor
ney-General would decide what shoul
!. be done. On the other hand, there
L warrant for the Interstate Commerce
lCommission making such recommends
n lions, altho II Is not customary for sue
o recomme citations to be made public be
: fore the Attorney-General has receive
them. 1t is worth while rememberin