The Honesdale citizen. [volume] (Honesdale, Pa.) 1873-1908, 1908-08-06

SNy "a"Neu FoF GRtoHeton ana I'm.
proVernsnt OF Lines and Provision Of
New eauipmsnt--Masnate Answers
Queries About Prsvalsnes 81 Re.
eeivsrships,. Advance In Pricss OF Sc.
euritiss and othsrs-Hs 10 Not Sup.
porting Any Candidate For tho Prssi.
dsney.
Chicago, Aug. 4.-Edward II. Harri
man before his departure from Chica.
go for the west gave a short discus.
sion Of the possibility OF a general In.
crease Of freight rates in the United
States
The American people ought to I've
willing to pay the railroads II proper
compensation for proper transporta-
ton service" he said. such q service
we are now performing, but we are
not receiving an adequate return.
III the railroads are to go on ex.
lending their lines, improving those
which are now operated and providing
new equipment to take care OF the
country's business, they must have
more revenue.
II am not in favor Of cold, calcu.
lating, cruel and horizontal increase
In the rates. l am not a traffic man.
and l do not know much about such
things, but know that there Is a
proper way to go about n thing and
that there Is a bungling way to do the
Bame thing"
Favors Adjustment OF Rates.
Mr.. Hartman seemed to favor
general readjustment OF freight tariffs
rather than u general increase lie
believed that many rates were too low
and should be increased, but he was
opposed to a straight 10 per cent iu-
crease In the carrying charges for all
commodities.
rs there to be an increase In freight
rstes?" he was asked.
How can l tellY" was the reply. ac-
companled by a despairing wave OF
the hands,
well. II there Is to be no increase
in freight rates will there be decline
In wagesr" was the next question.
IL don't care to talk about wages"
said Mr.. Hartman. But the railroad
laborer Is In the same position that the
railroad should be In. He Is entitled
to all he can get for his services, pro-
vided he gives the very best service
that lies In him"
Questions Asked and Answsrsd.
Mr., Hartman was asked this Ques.
ton:
"why is II, Mr.. Hartman, that after
ave years Of great prosperity the rail-
roads are In bad straits, many OF them
In the hands Of receivers and others
near receivershlp proceedingsT
simply because they are after
them," was the reply.
Mr.. Hartman did not explain whom
he meant by they"
"Politicsl he said In answer to a
question concerning Mr.. Bryan. well,
leave me out of politics, am not sup.
porting any candidate"
How about the plan Of the Demo
Gratis to secure a physical valuation Of
the railroadsr
That l can't answer; haven't even
read the Democratic platform. I'll
look It up"
Mr.. Hartman refused to talk about
the reversal Of the Standard OH fine
by the United States court of appeals
Mr.. Hartman wrote answers to writ
ten questions as follows:
rs the advance In securities justi
fed by the actual OF prospective con
ditionp Yes.
DO you think that advance will
continue and how long? AS long as
conditions continue natural and as Ions
as the people are normal
"Do you think the advance has dis
counted any improvement In condi
tions? The decline was because OF
abnormal and unnatural conditions and
ought not have occurred, at least no,
to 50 great an extent. A reaction was
due. but 1t would have been reached
by natural stages and not harmed
those engaged in legitimate enter
prises"