Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-01-04
Denies an Agreement to
Prevent Injurious
Rivalry.
HARTMAN Is I'LL"
Agreement With Rock Island
Fer Joint Control ct
Alton Revealed.

New York, jan 4-The interstate
commerce commission began today an
inquiry in this city into the affairs of
the Southern Pacific and Union Pacific
railway systems. the underlying pur-
poses of the investigation being TO dis
cover whether or not the two railway
lines are natural competitors or wheth-
er there is an agreement between them
that may be construed as in restraint
of trade under the Sherman antitrust
act
Hartman Ill.
E. II. Hartman, who was expected
to be the most important witness ex-
amined in this city. has notified the
commission through counsel for the
Union Pacific that he will be unable
to appear before the commission on ac-
count of i'll health following an opera
ton.
Excused This Time.
Hartman was excused from attend
ance at this time. II is the under
standing after staying in the city to-
day and tomorrow, the commissioners
would proceed to Chicago TO take fur
tSer testimony
Says They Are All One.
The first witness was Secretary Mil
lar of the Union Pacific. who said the
Union Pacific, Southern Pacific, Ore
gon Short line and Oregon Railway & |
Navigating company which were re-
ferred to as the four Pacifics. are un-
der the same control All have the |
same president, E. H. Hartman, and |
the same vice president. The Union |
Pacific owned stock in the Occidental
& Oriental Steamship company, he
said. and the Southern Pacific owned I
the Morgan Steamship company.
Millar said the four Pacifics occupied
the same Office at New York.
Drag c. * A. In.
The Chicago & Alton was drawn into
the inquiry by the reading of an alb
stract from record of proceedings of
the executive committee of the Union
Pacific This showed Sept. 30, 1904,
Hartman reported he had bought 49,
431 shares of preferred capital stock of
the Alton. and his act was approved.
The executive committee of the Union
Pacific authorized HERMAN and three
associates. it appeared, to enter into
contract with w B. Leeds of the
Chicago. Rock Island & Pacific rail
way, by which stocks held in the AL
ton by the Union Pacific and by the
Rock Island should be pooled for de-
posit with the Central Trust company
of New York.
Keep joint Control.
The purpose of the contract was to
maintain Joint control of the Alton, the
Union Pacific to have control one year
and the Rock Island the next, and so
on. The contract began Oct. 4, 1904.
and had life of 10 years. 1t is admit
ted to be in full force at the present
time. Resolutions passed by the Union
Pacific to the effect that the Oregon
Short Line and Oregon Railway & Nav
igatiOn company were not competing
and parallel lines were put in evidence
after they had been identified by Mil
lar
Tackles Block System.
Washington, Jan. 4.-Inquiry into
the operation of the block signal sys-
TEN of the Baltimore G. Ohio railroad
and Southern railway was instituted
today by the Interstate commerce COM
The commission is acting I'M
der the authority of the resolution of
congress adopted at the last session
calling for report on the working of
the railroad block system generally.
IEETTn n0lIcDA0D