The Detroit times., 1909-04-01
ADJUST AFFAIRS
OF GOVERNMENT
Hartman Says Methods Of Federal
Branch Would Speedily Bankrupt
Any Other Business.

CHICAGO. April lie. Il. Harri-
man. the railway magnste. who
stopped for a short time in Chicago
last night en- route to New York. said
II the government had revised the
tariff or given the country a good cur
rency law. or both. the Lands decision
would not have been rendered. and
the wasteful prosecution OF corpora
tions would not have been started.
and the hostile legislation against rail-
roads would not have interfered with
the business conditions.
Speaking OF combinations o; rail
roads Mr. Hartman said:
II am for combinations where econo-
my demands them ant where the hes,
service requires them. I would not
lave the combination OF parallel OF
competing lines permitted without re-
straint. would have II permitted
under the consent OF the interstate
commerce commission and under its
supervision.
Il am in favor OF government super
vision and regulation
Il would not have regulation bv gov
ernent extend to the issuance ~ rail-
road securities. for II is none of the
peoplee's business. 10 put II bluntly,
how much securities and In what form
are issued so long as the railroad Is
run in the interest Of the people and
SO long as it gives the greatest pos
sibe unit OF service that lies within
it,"
Asked how he would revise national
laws affecting railroads. he said:
II would begin with the Sherman
antitrust act which Is. and always
will be, menace 10 corporate pros
perity One can plainly see that the
ideas OF the people have changed In
many respects. They are coming TO
take a different view OF many Of the
problems which are involved IN the
maintenance and operation Of our rail-
road systems and the law should be
changed to correspond with these
changed views. After all 1t is the peo-
ple who own our railroads.
This question of regulation will be
worked out all right for every one
concerned. What the newspapers
ought to do now is TO stop talking
about the regulation OF railroads and
insist upon il that the people begin
regulating the government. They
should insist, for example. that the
first and chief aim OF new admins
tration should not he to wiring more
money out OF the people before II has
learned how to expend 1t wisely
"If the wasteful extravaganza or
governmental methods should be ap-
plied to any other business 1t would
speedily bankrupt It. The sdministra.
ton should be so regulated by the peo-
pie that it will learn to conserve its
revenue by cutting down expenses and
by taking sufficiently sound precau-
tons to prevent the terrible and
utterly useless and unecononic deficits
which are occurring with altogether
too much frequency. The financial
methods OF the government should be
the greatest concern OF the people to-
day and il is time that they began
regulating the government.
Il am a protectionist in theory and
practice where protection is needed;
but the tariff ought 10 be revised; for
ss the law now stands ii is out OF
date. There are many things which
are enjoying the blessings OF protec-
ton which should not be enjoying
them. and there may be many things
which should be unde: protection that
are not but the theory Of protection
is all right"