Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-03
HARTMAN IS HOPEFUL
Railway Wizard Talks Of: In
dustria| Conditions.
SAYS THING ARE MIXED
Off for the Mountains to Think Over
the Situation.
PLANS OF THE RAILROADS
Doing What They Can to Prevent
iverships-Oriental Trade
Fallacy.

CHICAGO August 3-"Tbere is TO be no
abandonment of railroads nor is there to
he any combination of railroads over
night What has been done has been
undertaken solely with the purpose of
SAVING 3 lao financial situation.
Edward Fl. Hartman said this last night
while discussing the deal whereby syn
dictate of bankers recently took up SS,OOO,-
Uo0 in short-term notes of the Wheeling
and Lake Erie railroad The interview
took place at Evanston, a suburb whittier
his private car had been switched in an
effort to avoid publicity. Instead OF en-
terng Chicago, the car was transferred on
the southern outskirts of the city TO the
tracks of the Chicago and Northwestern
railroad and by that management sent to
Evanston, where it was Sidetracked. Rail
road employees were bound to secrecy, put
one of them told of the presence of MI.
Hartman, and, after he had been dis
covered, he consented to discuss recent
DEVELOPMENTS in the railroad world.
What / have done has not been for
the purpose of making money he said
but simply because matters were be-
coming tangled and it had become neces-
sary for some one to try. to make bad
situation better. Some of us do not be-
lieve that il would be good thing for
the country generally if more railroads
should go into the hands Of receivers, and
we are doing what we can to prevent
this in the interests of self-preservatiOn.
That is all there is to it.
Situation Is Complex.
In fact things have become SO COM
pick that l scarcely know where 1 am.
So am going out to the SiskiyOu noun
tains to think over the situation and,
wheI: i come back. l may be able to talk
intolligently concerning the future:
But in the meantime l should like to
have it understood that there is no deep
laid plot back of IT all. but that the deal
regarding the Wheeling and Lake Erie
notes was simply a transaction made nee
eSSary to save a railroad and thereby
benefit all other roads alike
will the Erie gain an entry into Pitts
burg over the tracks of the Wheeling
and Lake Erie?' he was asked.
Il do not know anything about that.
My interest in the Erie is the same as
my interest in the other affair. that of
making things better in general
What effect will the change in coDdi-
tion have upon the proposed Gould out
let to the sea-
"Oh, l fancy that there is good deal of
mcoGshine in that, but l do not know.
There is no telling what the effect will
be, but We hope that it will be for the
general good
Quitting Oriental Trade.
Mr.. Hartman was asked why the trans
continental roads had decided to go out
OF the oriental trade.
The oriental business is largely senti-
mental he replied. The hope of build
ing up large Asiatic trade through the
Pacific ports of the United States has
been largely dream, and 1t has turned
out to be to a great extent fake. 1t was
not my dream. for 1 have been familiar
with conditions in this regard from the
first The interstate commerce commits
sion has ruled that the roads must do
certain things in connection with that
trade, such publishing the inland pro-
portions of their export rates and their
dealing with tramp steamers We be-
iieve that there is not enough of the bust
ness to warrant our taking any chances
of injury to our inland or domestic bust
ness
What will be done with your ships
that have been engaged in the oriental
trade?"
We'll. We have been carrying mostly air
in those boats and L suppose that we can
continue to do So The japanese would
like to control the Pacific trade and
eventually they may"
Mr.. Hartman declined to discuss poll
tics.
Turning to business conditions, Mr..
Hartman predicted an Improvement.
The outcome depends largely upon
what the farmers are producing, he
said. ''Financially the agricultural inter-
ests are in excellent condition. The labor
market is also favorable for them and
they ought to produce. great results