New-York tribune., 1908-09-16
MIR. HARTMAN TALKS
Continued from first page.

people are getting 100 per cent better service
than seven or eight years ago at 25 per cent
less charge That is what all sections of the
country want and ought to have.
Ihe representatives of the people are giving
ear TO that demand. Since most of the weak
lines have been unable to raise capital to make
improvements, people are beginning to realize
mat they should give moral support in order to
ehaole the railroads to get the money TO make
further improvements. The people want good
railroads; not so many but good"
Are the people now more favorably inclined
toward the railroads than in the recent past?"
Undoubtedly. toward properly managed rail
roads found that when in the West A year
ago people seemed ashamed to be seen in the
company or a railroad officer. Now they
Trying TO establish cordial relations with the
ralfoads, and are showing their appreciation
of the efforts of the roads. The further west
the more pronounced is the change The farm
ers are prosperous. The trouble is that some
nave too much money and inclined to hold
their crops. You know how the farmers are"
PEOPLE INDIFFERENT TO POLITICS.
Asked for his view the political outlook
Mr. Hartman answered.:
Il don't want to talk politics. All 1 can say
is that the danger politically is the apparent
feeling of Indifference They have got to rouse
the people. 1 am not speaking for either party.
1 think the people have got tired of the issues
They don't know where they stand"
Have you contributed to the Taft fund.-" was
asked
Il haven't been asked" Mr.. Hartman re-
sponded.
Then Mr.. Hartman turned to the relation of
the government to the railroads. saying:
The interstate commerce act has been vio-
lated by the government. Nobody believes that
the railroads wanted cut rates and secret re-
bates. II the government had enforced the act
at once should not have had the trouble we
have had The railroad managers have i'm
portuned the government TO enforce the law.
The government officials time and again have
said that it could not be enforced In its agi-
tation for increased powers the Interstate Com
merce Commission, with the various admins
trations, has always said that the act as it
stood could not be enforced and a dead
letter. All Of the prosecutions which have been
successful have been under the original act and
not under its amendments"
What is your remedy for the situation?"
was asked
L would repeal so much of the Sherman law
covers the railroads. That Is all that is
necessary, that railroad men could talk in
public and make agreements in public"
RECALLS FORMER STATEMENT i
Continuing. Mr.. Hartman said that his posi-
tion this point was fully stated In a letter
which he had addressed to Secretary Taft on
September Is. 1905, while he was in Japan and
which contained practically what he had said
prior TO that time to the President. That state
ment was as follows:
Our transportation interests both on land
and water, need encouragement. l believe in
regulation and publicity, but would hesitate to
go further at this time. The railroads in the
United States have in the last five years raised
and expended enormous sums for pure improve
ments to existing properties. and this contrib
uted To the large expansion IN business ana
enabled il 70 take place. The Union Pacific,
the Southern Pacific and allied lines alone have
expended since 1900 more than $3.50 600 600 for
those purposes If this had not been done II is
hard to realize what the condition Of the terri
tories served by those lines would be at this
time What ought to have Is protection as
well regulation. and allowance TO cooper
ate with and have the power TO enter into
agreements and make alliances, Sc that trans
pOrtation may be done at the least cost along
the lines Of least resistance. BY being enabled
TO inaugurate methods for less cost we Will
eventually be able to conduct traffic at even
less charge than at present
They ought to have modified the Sherman act
at that time" said Mr.. Hartman. They
didn't and tied our hands both ways. If they
had modified il many of the bitter animosties
would have been removed and quarrels averted,
and we would not have had the business dis
tuFbance last fall The President is coming
and on in every message. until finally II l
am not mistaken. he has recommended a change
in the Sherman act"
Mr. HIS statement the other day that the
Oriental steamship business practically
gone beyond hope Of recovery mentioned.
but Mr.. Hartman unwilling to comment
extensively upon II.
Mr. Hill has only one steamship and l have
not
rnistic when he built his boats. He has had his
experience There is more competition now on
the water and the ruling on the Interstate Com
rnerce act hampers us. II the transcontinental
roads had not fathered the Pacific Mail /and
other steamship lines. those lines could not have
got along but we cannot have any more steam
ship lines under the protection of transconti-
mental systems.
Mr.. Hartman added: Il never have raised
my finger for any ship subsidy.
Discussing the Union Pacific system as it
stands to-day, he said:
The improvements and enormous expendi-
lures which we have been able to make have
been because of the connecting lines, and the
people out West beginning to understand
that justify our acquisitions OF all kinds, no
matter what they are. They have enabled US
to give better service. IL is quite important for
any line TO have connection with us, because
we give It quick market and a free market
As to general business conditions, Mr.. Harri-
said:
Conditions not normal, but are getting
better Business with is approaching the
normal. We have good average crops all along
our lines
A LABOR ARBITRATION PLAN.