East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1907-09-16

The following graphic review of
Mr.. Harriman's attitude toward Ore
gon, so pointedly tells the truth of
an unfortunate railroad situation, that
1t should be read by every citizen
of Oregon. 1t is from the Oregon
Sunday Journal and Is as follows.
One of Mr.. Harriman's excuses for
not building more railroads in Ore
gon at this time that 1t is difficult to
get money for that purpose. Even
at high rate of interest, he pleads,
he cannot secure funds necessary for
building q railroad through central
Oregon.
Some well known facts render this
representation of doubtful validity
and little force, II they do not serve
to dispute 1t altogether and put 1t in
the light of an insult to the intelli-
gence of the people of this state.
The reports of the o. r. & N. COM
pany, the section Of Mr.. Harriman's
railroad between Portland and Hunt
ington, show that its surplus earn
ings since he came into control Of
1t amount to over $24,000,000.
Plenty Money for Oregon.
It would take not more than one
third of this amount to build a road
Detroit, or an equal amount along
other routes. This money was earn
ed in Oregon; it is profits poured
into Mr.. Harriman's Golfers by the
people of this state, that he has 80
shamefully neglected.; and yet he
says he hasn't and can't get the mon
ey to build a railroad through Ore
gon.
Even If this be true he thus con-
fesses a grevious moral breach of
trust. What right has a Wall street
financiar so to conduct a public busi-
ness in this state that he makes $24,-
100000 net profits out of our people
and then refuses to concede to their
just and urgent demands for an en-
largement of that business on the
ground that he has spent the mon
ey elsewhere? This is not robbery
as defined by any statute, but it is a
species of robbery nevertheless.
We know where some of the mon
ey that Mr.. Hartman made in Ore
gon that ought to be spent here in
building more roads has gone and is
going. He is spending it, or its
equivalent, in building a railroad
from Portland to Puget sound, that
Oregon cares little or nothing about,
so as to rival Mr.. Hill in "his terri
tory
Oregon Money LOANED"
Even before any grading had been
done on this road, before a foot of
track had been laid, Mr.. Hartman
had loaned to, the company building
it s1O,000,O00 of o. r. & N. money,
which in plain equity should have
been spent in Oregon.
Mr.. Hartman spent millions in
purchasing terminal grounds at ex-
orbitant prices in Puget sound cities,
leaving Oregon, that furnished the
money, without the railroads 1t is
badly needed and justly deserved.
And no doubt he will spend many
millions more in carrying on this
war against Hill, in which Oregon
has not a particle of interests, mil
lions of which he has assiduously
"milked' Oregon. If this is not a
species of robbery. what milder term
shall we invent for It?
Neither of Mr.. Harriman's ex-
cuses is sufficient. Each is an af-
front. He wants eastern Oregon fill
ed up with people before building a
railroad there, when everybody knows
that the bulk of people must follow
and not precede a railroad into a
new region.
And he says he has no money when
he is spending millions of Oregon
money in an enterprise in which
Oregon has no interest. But we sup
pose a baron of the feudal ages did
not hove to make true or logical ex-
cuses to his serfs for anything he did
or declined to do.