Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-10-18
STATUS QUO
Proxy Committee Of Illinois
Central Railway Is De-
laying the Game
Both Hartman and Fish Are
Confident Of E|Electing
the Directors
Hartman Wants Newspapers
to Print Both Sides OF
Railroad Rows

Chicago, Oct. 17----Until the three
men, who are locked in a room ASST
duously counting proxies. are able
to report to the stockholders of the
Illinois Central railroad, there will
be no election of directors. Twice
today the olders assembled on
ly to be told that the Inspectors were
not prepared to report, and a final
adjournment was taken shortly after
3 o'clock in the afternoon, which
carried the meeting over until 2
O'Clock tomorrow afternoon.
The attorneys for Mr.. Hartman,
who have all along been anxious to
push the matter to a speedy conclu-
sion. chafed sorely under the delays
imposed by the proxy inspectors.
When it was evident at the morning
meeting hat the committee would
not be able to report, Mr.. Cromwell
went to Judge Edgar Farrar, who
represents Mr.. Fish, with a propo
sition tina all proxies should be
thrown upon the table in the gen
proxieseral meeting and that conoict-
ing proxies should be thrown out.
This would have killed all revoca-
lions that have been made, and the
proposition was promptly declined
by Judge Farrar. Mr.. Cromwell ex-
pressed himself as anxious for a
I show down. = The Fish faction,
however, declined to i consider the
plan for a moment, and Mr.. Crom-
well was forced to acquies in the de-
lay .5 .5s5
While the meeting was waiting
for some further word from the
committee in order to determine the
time to which an ad journmentishou
be taken Mr.. Hartman picked up his
chair and, carrying it to the end OF
the press table, sat down with the
remark: II think you gentlemen can
do more to settle this railroad situa-
tion than anybody else
When asked for an explanation he
said: 5
''You can do so by refusing to
print one side of the proposition UNI
til you have seen man on the 9TH
er side,. and let him have his say at
the same time. am sick, and most
other men are also sick. of the con-
tinued attacks made on the railroads.
When charges are made, against a
railroad, the proper thing to do is
to refrain from publishing them un-
til the party bringing the charge and
representatives Of the railroad have
had q conference with the represent
tatives of the press present AS such
things are run now, charges are
printed In the papers and the pub
lie receives a wrong impression, be-
cause.-the railroad side of the qnes-
ton Is not given at the same time,
It is the first impression that counts.
Very ofen the railroad it not able to
make reply for several weeks after a
charge has been brought and the
denial is not then noticed because the
matter is no longer fresh news. The
way to settle such things is to gel
together at the outset and let thu
charge and denial go before the pub.
lie at the same time. This would
do away. with much of the Ill feel,
ing that is now created against the
railroads
| An instance of where the South
Iern Pacific was guilty, in a techni
| cal sense Of a violation Of Law, ant
| was in fact entirely guiltless, Ii
found In the trouble we had when Thu
Colorado river broke over its banks
We spent millions of dollars in fore
ing the river hack into fits channel
It was too big job for the govern
ment to tackle and we had to do 4
ourselves. The Colorado Develop
ment company, which did the work
although we paid the bill, asked fol
a rate on material which was to b,
used in daming UP the river Tn
Southern Pacific quoted the compan.
the same rate IT charges against 1t
self for transportation Of its own sup
plies This was a different rat
from the one legally established 70
the handling Of such stuy. we wer
therefore guilty of violating the lar
Fan fact but we were entirely guilt
less In spirit. Il
Many times charges have beel
brought against railroads whicl
could be as easily explained, as II
j ff4fs 20 90 III IL. ii. x -.