The Washington times., 1908-03-15
HARTMAN FIGHTS
FOR TWO MILLION
ACRES IN OREGON
Refusal to Sell Grant to
Railroad RetardS the
Growth of State.
Bonaparte Says Terms
of First Act Have
Been Ignored.

Before the House Committee on Pub
lie Lands late yesterday afternoon there
edned the preliminary nghting in
battle for the possession of 100000
acres Of land ia the western part OF
Oregon.
On the one side stands the Govern
ment OF the United States. and on the
other the gigantic wealth and wizard
like mind OF Z. II. Hartman. the great
est railroad magnate II the world Few
hShts have been made by Hartman for
prize SO rich. for a domain so wide
or for principle so fraught with big
consequences.
The committee heard the closing ar
guments on the resolution authorizing
the Attorney General to bring suit to
forfeit the title of the Hartman inter-
ests 10 the 100000 acres in question, so
as 70 open them for settlement Mr..
Bonaparte believes the railroad COM
Iany Is retarding the development of
the greater part OF the western half OF
the State OF Oregon by refusing to allow
people 10 settle on the 100000 acres.
Argues Tor Vested Interest.
who Is interested in a lumber company
granted 10 the railroad, argued for
an amendment To the resolution that no
molestatton should be offered the titles
Of those parties who We're working and
developing the lands they had pur-
chased from the railroad at prices and
in parcels violating the terms OF the
grant to the railroad.
Representative Hawley Of Oregon
made a brief speech. He declared that
the railroad is refusing to allow settle
menJ on the 100000 acres, that II will
not sell the land at any price, that the
land is fertile and suited 70 agriculture,
and that the policy OF the railroad COM
pany is retarding the development OF
the state.
Road Can Handle No More.
In a letter TO the committee the At
torney General had the following 10 say
of the position OF Hartman and his
road;
THE following facts are significant:
The present transportation facilities of
western Oregon are taxed 10 their full
capacity in handling the products Of the
country. II the railroad company should
abandon its policy and dispose OF its
land grant to those who would develop
It and subject It to productive industry,
st IS certain that the increased produc-
tion of the country would be so greatly
in excess Of the present transportation
facilities that competing transportation
lines would be attracted to that State.
cit is equally certain that. with the
Southern Pacific interests controlling
substantially Oue-half of the land. no
other transportation company, however
formidable. is likely TO ventUge into that
territory 10 engage in competition with
q system which virtually controls not
only transportation, but also production.
More than foUr-fifths Of the land grant
now held by the railroad comapny is
situated in southern Oregon At the
time the railroad company withdrew its
lands from sale, I'm 1902, southern Oregon
was developing rapidly 1t was largely
this development which taxed the capac-
Ity of the existing transportation IA
cilities. The sale Of land was stopped
and the development Of southern Oregon
was checked.
IF the conditions Of the grant had been
observed under no circumstances could
the railroad company have enjoyed a
bounty exceeding approximately IS, O00.-
coo from the disposition of the lands
which It has received. II has already
realized approximately 81 100000 and
now asserts absolute ownership TO prop
erty the assessed valuation of which is
$4,000. 600
Terms Of Grant Ignored.
The grants contained restrictions de-
signed TO make The general public wei
fare superior to any interest which the
railroad company should ever possess
with respect to the lands granted. Those
provisions have been repeatedly violated
in the disposition of a large portion of
the grants. and because thereof the Ie-
gal right TO permanently ignore them
and convert the remainder Of the grant
into an absolute and unqualified single
ownership is now boldly asserted.
That at the expiration of forty years
after the enactment Of the grants 2.O0O,-
900 acres Of the lands granted should be
vested in single proprietor, with no
public obligation and virtually control
ling the commercial destiny of a large
portion of the State Of Oregon, is the
al.