Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1907-03-13
HARTMAN WILL TALK To
PRESIDENT TOMORROW,
HAS BEEN SEEKING
AN INTERVIEW FOR
SOME TIME PAST
"PANICKY FEELING" IN WALL
sTRREET AND OTHER MAT
TIERS WILL BE DISCUSSED

Cortelyou's administration as Secre-
tary OF the Treasury. it is reported.
will be a statement from President
Roosevelt, designed to alleviate what
financiers designate as a "panicky'
condition of Wall street. The Presi-
dent had been urged to make such
statement previously, but he did not
believe the time was ripe. Secretary
Cortelyou, however, since he assum-
ed charge of the Treasury Depart
ment, has been appealed TO, It is
said, and has Joined I'm urging the
President to speak and tell the pub
Tic again that 1t will have nothing
to fear from his Administration in
honest investment and industry.
When high finance manipulators like
E. II. Hartman suddenly become
loquacious, other persons naturally
look for the reason. 1t asserts that
Hartman is not the only railroad
manipulation who fears the outcome
OF years of over-capitalization, wa
tered stock and pooling OF individual
interests against the welfare of the
public.
Although Senator La Toilette has
been unsuccessful thus far in having
Congress adopt his plan for arriving
at the proper valuation OF the rail-
roads as just basis for the fixing
of reasonable rates, President
Roosevelt intends to make this sub
ject one of the important recommen-
dations in his next annual message
to Congress.
The story is known in washington
that, while Hartman was here re-
Gently attending the daily sessions
of the Senate and giving out talks
on the railroad question, he really
was seeking an invitation to the
White House for a conference with
the President with relation to rail-
road affairs. Hartman had Just
come off the grill in the Interstate
Commerce Commission investigation.
and the President preferred to wait
a while before calling Hartman in
consultation. One day Hartman and
his son went to the White House,
and as such callers usually do II the
President is not engaged, saw him
for a moment in the big reception
room with others There was no talk
of railroad affairs. however, and Har-
riman waited vainly for several days
for an invitation TO call and have q
good-natuTed chat with the Presi-
dent. Then he sent Maxwell Evarts.
one of his legal STAFF, to ascertain
from Secretary Loeb IL an interview
with the President could not be ar
ranged. He has finally been infom-
ed, 1t is said, that the President
would be pleased to see him, and an
interview was appointed in the
White House for Thursday. Harri-
mans talks to the public on the
Square deal" and other allied topics.
it is said, have amused and interested
President Roosevelt "He sees the
leaven workings" said a friend OF
the President today. "and he is not
sought He has been telling the rail-
road men for the last three years
that T. ~ we're their own worst enc
mics AID we're standing In their own
light in resisting moderate and de-
sirable remedial legislation fn refa-
ton to railroad affairs They begin
TO see now that he was right all the
time"
Cortelyou and other advisers have
set the President to thinking concern
ing the "panicky feeling" that some
persons allege exist in certain guar
ters. and, Of course. Cortelyou does
not want anything to happen in Wall
steet which would reflect on his
Treasury administration in its begin
ming The President is described,
therefore. as having been in a guam
day as to just what he ought 70 10
or say to be consistent. and yet TO
assure everybody that the railroads
and other corporations are not going
to be diven out Of business by over
legislation and over-activity on the
part Of the Government That he is
actually preparing a statement on
these lines IS the news from the
White House r. Is predicted that
he will show that he has not changed
his ground. but that others have,
and that ultimately the abuses which
have grown up win be subsequently
corrected, TO the betterment not only
OF the public. but also Of those most
directly engaged in transportation
business. There may be good
lesson IN this White House statement