Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-09-08
HARTMAN DEFENSE
PONOEROUS AFFAIR
Local Members OF Wizards COL
ony Are Hard at Work
On II.
HUGE BULK OF EVIDENCE.
Fifteen thousand Pages of Facts aud
Figures in shape Arc only
\ Portion.

That the defense OF tho Pacifics m
/ the case instituted by tho government
against two OF the leading members
/ of the Hartman fraternity OF railroads
charging that the merger Of the lines
named Is in violation Of the provisions
/ of the Interstate commerce act in that
I il STILES competition and is in restraint
! OF trade. and asking that the merger
/ be dissolved. Will be an elaborate one
/ is evident from the preparations being
| mnde by the railroads for their answer
In TO date in the offices " tho lesal
and auditing department Of the Orcso1
| short Line. leading branch OF ono
of the lines concerned. something liNa
II. 600 pages Of figures and statistics
have been already compiled for pre-
-cntation before the special eNamin
in charge Of the hearings. and this rep
rcsents perhaps only about two-thlrcs
Of tho total mass OF evidence 90 b.
marshaled by the Pacific roads.
WORK OF MANY MONTHS
For months past. In fact ever since
| the conclusion Of the hearings on the
mercer suits which began In New York
/ over a year ago and continued az az
reront intervals at Pittsburg, Chicago
St Louis and early this year extend
ing To salt Lake city. Portland Seattle
| san Francisco and Los Angeles, the Of
| "details of the legal and statistical d.
,,or,,,cnts OF the short Line in this
! citv have been working early and late
compiling reports. statements OF earn
MOS accounts Of disbursements ana
operating expenses comparative sched-
niles of rates. etc. covering the penou
affected IN the charges made by me
| government: and Il Is entirely pronap 'o
/ from present indications that tuly
I p,onth's work vet remains before tne
| bcrcniean task Is completed. The neNt
! bearing II Is anticipated. VIII occur
| come time in October when the SIDE ~
/ Mo defense wiz have its tnuing, ana
| facts and figures making up the pou,
dcrous bulk Of 10000 on more pages
tvpewritten matter viii be hurled az w
/ prosecution as reputation OF ne 0""'
concerning the big merger sun
| OVERTIME TO COLLECT DATA.
r,pder the direction OF trained ex-
ports practically the whole force or
clerks In me auditing department OF
the short Line has been working hNe
hours overtime every day IN genus
this evidence together. Every 1cAal' ~
history in connection with the mat
Ter or having any bearing on the case
has been gone into; old files have been
broupht forth from their musty places
Of repose and their contents rifed lot
accurate information Affecting Helght
! rates and passenger schedules. ana by
Tho time the hearings are resumed next
month whether they he convened in
Salt Lake city. New York or Wash
ington. the Hartman roads VIII De
| armed with their evidence and ready 10
present their side of the case.
At the hearings in salt Lake cry
during the latter part 81 last Aprh'
the bulk Of the testimony presented ny
| The prosecution tended Co show thar
prior TO the merger OF the Union and
southern Pacific roads there was a
| strong competition FOR freight hauls
| between the roads and their connec-
tions. which tho witnesses testified was
| completely done away with after the
merger was effected. II was also tes-
ufed that the freight schedule prior
10 the merger between Omaha and
Ogden was 52 hours. whereas AZ the
! time ~ taking the evidence. schedule
OF 100 hours was I'm effect between hs
points named.
AS TO RATES.
II was claimed that rates were hXed
bv the Hartman roads after the mcr-
ger and thst an other roads entering
the territory ~ the Harrimans must
| conform TO the rates instituted by
them. as they were In a position 10
dominate the rate situation In the west
and the north and southwest In
stances were cited, showing wherein the
iobbers of Portland and coast cities
had the advantage over Salt Lake
iobbers. even with the haul 20 the coast
and back in certain lines Of commodi-
tieg. ana the Pacncs were said To be
responsible In discriminating against
the intormountain country.
! u also developed In the testimony
that during the time when the repre-
sentatlves Of the Hartman interests
we're Working % get The bin through
the legislature permitting the railroad
companies 90 merge, number Of
promises were made t0 the people Of
this state. which We're never kept,
namely. lhe double tracking of the
Union Pacific from Omaha 10 salt
Lake; tho building of a cut-o0 from
! Evanston 20 salt Lake and the cOn-
! efrugffon az d lime fn Dnou Greek