Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1909-05-28
ISLAND POND VT. FRIDAY, MAY o. 1909

worked up plan for them. They have
that plan IN operation now"
Have they government ownership"
No; they nave not 50 much govern
ment ownership as government part
nershIp. told them ia 1901 not to
make the misiake they have In Amer
lea ana build railroad lines AT the ex-
pense OF wasting capital without serv-
ing the country. | have always fa-
Vorcd combination, and | believe that
legislation will sooner or later be en-
acted in favor Of combination and en-
forcing combination. BY this do not
mean TO remove Individual cumpeti-
tion. Every body should have the same
right To move what he wants over the
lines. have always been in favor OF
regulation. That is on record. The
men looking for political preferment
are doing all the talking and are mis-
leading the people. Some of them are
AFRAID To tell the truth for fear that
their heads will fail at the next elec-
ton. II il carried to such length
that finally the people think there Is
really something IN all this talk be-
cause the other side has nothing to
say.
1T is more or less the fault of the
railroads that they have become dis
credited 10 such an extent as they
have
To-day il is even conspiracy for
the managers of railways to get into
room aud talk of the relations of
their lines TO each other. and they can
even be convicted if the fact can be
proved. Such conditions have been
carried too far
There should be cooperation be-
tween the government and the cor
porations. We can make no gentle
mems agreement any more. The law
prevents, rs | understand 1t. On the
other hand, the rates have become
more stable. Agitation against the
railways has reached the point where
great many of the agitators are get
ting somewhat mixed up and afraid"
Have you any reason to think that
Mr. Taft will continue the same con-
ditionS as those brought during the
administration of Mr.. Roosevelt?"
The interstate commerce act was
passed in 1887. There were regula-
tiOns long before Mr.. Roosevelt was
talked Of The Sherman act was pass
ed about the same time. think. The
idea of regulation did not originate
with Mr. Roosevelt. 1t had become
acute when Mr. Roosevelt came into
the political field, and he was quick
minded enough to see 1t and possibly
carried it too far. | think the results
have been rather disastrous. | think
| said to Mr. Roosevelt in 1905 that
he ought not to have the Hepburn
amendment passed without having an
amendment that would give the rail
roads protection as well as regulation.
That was the time to have done it.
We could have stopped all this recent
trouble if that had been done then.
The fact was the interstate COM
merce commission was just as much
Mt fault as the rebate payers and the
rebate takers. They failed to enforce
the original act, passed in 1887 or 1888.
This should be considered in settle
ment of any kind-viz, that they are at
fault rs we'll rs the railroads. Certain
If the lines did not want to pay re-
bates, ana still they have to bear their
share Of the blame. | do not think 1t
IS fair. am not defending any par
ticulAr corporation or any particular
person. but this agitation, am posi-
tive, caused the culmination of the
panic in 1907"
Asked about his health and the ru-
NOR that he intended to resign, Mr..
Hartman said: Il have not felt better
I'm years. and my physician says that
am in good condition. Under those
circumstances have no thought Of
resigning. No; | shall keep at work
for many years more, hope"