Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-05-04
YOUNGEST OF RAILWAY KINGS
CAUSES HARTMAN TO TAKE
NOTICE AND GET BUSY.
HAWLEY AND HILL IN
WORKING AGREEMENT
Now Plan an Outlet to the Gulf in
Connection With Hill and HawIey
Lines Of the North-Prepare for New
Outlet of Commerce on Completion
of Panama Canal.
Especial corresnondence.l

Washington, May 4.-That series
of railroad combinations and central
izations of control is under way, which
in the next two or three years will
pSse the domination of the country's
transportation interests in three or four
groups, is the conclusion which Off
cials draw from the movements of the
present year and the closing months Of
last year. The question is asked on
going to do about it?
The fact is that everything just now
tant cases pending in the courts. There
is the New York, New Haven & HART
ford litigation, which deeply concerns
New England; the case against the
Union and Central Pacific roads, in
which the government seeks to compel
the Union Pacific " surrender the con-
troll of the Southern Pacific and the
San Pedro road; the action under the
antitrust laws for the dissolution of
the Standard Oil Company, which
while not directly affecting transport
tation, is expected to develop some i'm
portant judicial interpretations of that
statute; the commodities clause case,
mad the cases involving the rates
thruout the Rocky Mountain west
growing out of or dependent on the in
terstate commerce commissions decis-
ion in the Spokane rate case All these
are to be pressed as fast as possible,
and pending some conclusions regard
ing the principles they involve it is
regarded as uncertain whether any
new actions will be initiated.
Hawley Attracts Attention.
But there is constant pressure for
some proceeding in regard to the con-
are being developed from time to time
The activities of the Hawley interests
are especially attracting attention. 1t
has become known recently that
Hawley and Hill are working in pretty
close harmony. Hawley sold his Color
ado Southern to the Hill group. and
altho the fact has not been announced
as yet. it will before long become
known, according to reliable reports
from the inside, that Hawley has Sc
cured control of the Missouri, Kansas
& Texas. This combination, it is
pointed out, would enable Hill very
easily to perfect, in cooperation with
Hawley,1 line from the northwest,
thru the mountain and plain country,
to the Gulf of Mexico at Galveston
Hill has long wanted to secure this
connection. it is explained, because of
his conviction that when the Panama
canal is opened there will be great
development of gulf traffic. and he
wants to be in position to Secure his
share of it. Hartman forced Hill to
this move by getting the Illinois Cen
trail, which goes to the gulf.
The Hawley system is coming to be
looked upon as the great rising factor
in the railroad situation. Hawley is
reliably declared to control as much
railroad mileage today as any other
man in the country, if not more, tho he
has not attracted so much attention till
rather recently. He is the youngest of
the big and potential factors in the
national railroad-finance situation. His
backing consists first in his own am
pie fortune, and second in the old Col
lis PHuntin gton group. Hawley was
associated with Huntington. and has
latterly been the financial and invest
ment manager of the Huntington for
tune. He has maintained much of the
old community of interest among the
powerful group of men who were
known as the Huntington crowd; he
has the backing of their money; and
the story goes that after he sold the
Southern Pacific control to the Union
Pacific, he set about to force an alli-
ance for his interests with whatever
group should be most to his advan-
tage. That alliance, is is now believed,
has been made with the Hill Morgan
group, but the result has been to force
the acquiescence of the Hartman
forces, which We're in the way of being
overpowered by sheer financial strength
unless they made terms, which they
are understood to have done. The re-
suit is the recent repeated assurance
that the Hill and Hartman people
have no differences at this time.
illustrates harrman's Pet Plan.
Hartman has gathered in the Erie,
broken into the Gould interest, and
greatly expanded his holdings in the
south. He is deep in the Atchison, and
it is declared that the seizure of the
Chesapeake & Ohio by Hawley, who
suddenly turned up in control of that
road, frustrated a pet plan Of Harri-
man to take that road, which was on
the point of consummation when Haw-
| ley got it first. The Alton went to the
Hawley group, and the Glover Leaf
went the same way, making, with the
| Mfnneap polls & st. Louis and Iowa
Central. thhe basis for a great middle
western system. Connected with the
Missouri. Kansas & Texas, this would
become also a great southwestern sys-
tenn, and affiliated with. the Hill inter-
ests, it would make tremendous, al
most nation wide net of roads.
Hartman, not to be outdone in ex-
pansion. has got into the New York
Central, and is reported planning a
consolidation Of all it's affiliated cor
porations in a million dollar combina-
ton, similar to that by which the
Pennsylvania system is held.
All these outreachings of the mas
tiers of transportation, who appear
sometimes as. rivals and sometimes as
co-operators. have made deep impress
stion on the public mind, and still
pepper on the official mind in those
/ quarters which have reJaf{ona NTH