The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-07-25
WASHINGTON
From our Regular Correspondent.
Washington, ID. G. Iulv IS

Washington, D. c. July iS, 1907.
In spite of al that has been said
to the contrary, the question Of
whether or not l.. II. Hartman
shall be subj to federal prose.
cution for his railroad manipula-
tions is largely matter of practi-
cal politics. The long expected
report of the Interstate Commerce
Commission on the Hartman in
vestigation has been rendered and
is now in the hands of the presi-
dent at Oyster Bay. This report is
most OF it old matter, with which
the public is familiar through much
newspaper discussion. 1t goes into
the initiation Of the Alton securities,
the lease Of the San Pedro Road,
the control of the Union Pacific and
the Southern Pacific by the same
management, although they have
been decided to be competing lines
and various other incursions OF the
Hartman financiers into the Joint
realms of railroads and politics.
The report makes but one practical
recommendation, and that is that a
railroad should be prohibited by
law from purchasing the securities
OF another railroad. This was Mr..
Harriman's method whereby he
was gradually absorbing all the
railroad systems of the West and
by which he hoped eventually to
bring all the railroads of the United
States under single management.
The report of the Commission goes
into detail over all these transac-
tions and speaks in scathing terms
OF many of the practices. But the
word prosecution" is not once
mentioned in the report, and the
whole thing is left to the Attorney
General for treatment or not, as he
deems advisable. There has been
considerable criticism of this report
and 1t has been commented upon as
weakened and ineffective. There
was quite as much discussion in the
Commission as outside as to wheth,
er any definite recommendation
should be made looking to either
criminal or civil prosecution. Frank
Is. Kellogg, the special attorney of
the Commission. who practically
wrote the report, was much in ia
vor OF prosecution; so was Commis-
sioner Judson Clements. 1t was
understood til at Commissioner
Clark was also in favor of prosecu-
ton and Commissioner Lane was
wavering; but after almost innum-
cradle conferences and weeks of de-
lay, the report was written simply
as an exhibit, without recommen-
datlon except in regard to the pur-
chase OF securities mentioned. Now
it is known that Attorney General
Bonaparte is rather in favor of pros
ecuting Mr.. Hartman. He made
this plain at the famous Trust Pros
ecution Conference, held at the
White House just before the Presi-
dent went away for the summer.
But there is too much at stake in
the political line to make prosecu-
tion advisable inst now. 1t is high
ly probable that the matter will be
allowed to rest without action until
close to the time that some of the
Acts, will be out-lawed by the stat
ute of limitations. Then there may
be action, but it will depend largely
on the political situation.
Ky
Civil Service Commissioner Nc
llheny has just returned from a trip
through the South. where he has
been endeavoring to interest the
public in the Civil Service as a life
career for young men. He has de-
llvered a number of lectures before
the Young Mems Christian Assoc-
ations and Southern Colleges and |
other educational institutions. The
Civil Service is decidedly short of |
men competent to take the lower
clerical positions. People in the
South have shown little inclination
to select Government work as even
a temporary calling; much less has
there been any inclination either
North or South to make the Civil |
Service a life career. 1t has been
looked on more as stepping stone
to tsome better employment, and |
this is quite natural in view of the
fact that Government salaries are
not large. considering the expense
of fliving in Washington. The lower
places in the Service are badly
enough paid, but when it comes to |
higher positions requiring technical
-.