The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-03-08
Railroads and Govern.
ment Should Do So.
SAYS HARTMAN.
he Says the Policy Of the Railroad
Managers in the Past was .
q Mistaken One.

New York, March ST. am ready ts
make the advancement of a scheme oi
cooperation between the government
and the railways my chief interest,
said e. II. Hartman. president of the
Union Pacific railroad, on returning
Thursday from Washington. 1--WE men
at the head of great corporations arc
coming to a better understanding ol
what the government expects of u.s.
he continued.
Mr.. Hartman declined to talk about
the report that he had secured control
of the Reading railroad. Speaking oil
agitation against corporate wealth he
said:
,"They--we-all Of us, ought to have
considered the possible effects of this
agitation before II was begun, or be-
fore conditions that made its growth
possible were allowed TO continue. II
we had all met on COMMON ground and
co.operated for our mutual benefit, no
body would be worrying over the stu.
alton as it is to-day.
I'VE all made a mistake In this. ]
realize the mistake, and l am of the
opinion that the administration at
Washington Is beginning to realize
that It has been little too radical In
It's attitude toward the railroads.
Benceforth I look to see It's opposition
take on more of the spirit Of cooper.
alton. believe the railways can ex.
pect to receive more even-handed jus
tice.
Railroad managers have, ] am will.
Ing to admit. In the past neglected to
build up a strong. harmonious relation.
ship between themselves and with the
government aud the public. This mat
ter had been left to, subordinate offi.
GERS, and the result has been that such
relations have been completely neg
lected. Now we must take the matter
in our own hands in order to bring
about better understanding and CO.
operation.
Our policy in the past has been a
mistaken one, but It cannot be said
that We have neglected our service to
the public. When one considers what
the railroads have done to develop
this nation, we cannot believe that
the railroads have been anything but
beneficial to the nation. The marvel.
Gus development OF the country has
been due in very large degree to the
enterprise of it's railroads.
Since the time we. took hold of
the system of railroads Of which / am
the head, $250,000,0 900 has been ex.
pended in rebuilding the roads. This
has all been done since 1900. AS an
other instance of what the railroads
are doing to add to the general pros.
perity of the nation, I'll tell you that
the railroads Of which | am the head
purchase about one million tons OF
steel rails yearly
Combination really benefits the
public. The public may think other
wise. but It will learn the real truth
In time. believe in control and regu
| lation, as / declared before the inter
state commerce commission, but
think within the limit Of such control
corporations ought to be allowed to
combine as they find it necessary OF
beneficial"
Mr.. Hartman said that the rail
roads had Frequently been at fault In
| the past by their failure to live up Il
trafflc agreements. In this way there
had come lack of confidence among
railroad men, and the public natural,
grew to lose confidence in the acts o.
the railroad men.
As to the money outlook, Mr.. Harri
man said that the present tension II
bound to react on industrial co-opera
ton.
| 81 know in q general way of an al
| n an
That's common sense. AS for our Owl
roads we are making our business
more compact and trying to conduc
traffic at less cost. We may have Il
come to higher freight rates."