The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-06-02
MR.. HARTMAN ON CONDITIONS.

The views of Mr.. Hartman upon
general business conditions IN the
country are always Of Importance, be-
cause his interests arc so widespread,
so great, and his means OF information
so extensive. that his talk, which he
made on the eve of his departure for
Europe. can we'll be viewed with con-
Germ by the people OF this country. His
roads pierce the very center of the
crop belts, and the rich mining regions
which. in themselves, comprise tremen-
dous scenes of activity and energy.
When. therefore. he gives out the IN
qualified opinion that the business of
the country "is on very substantial
basis his word can be accepted with
the utmost confidence as rccting inc
fact And the fact is. that he has bet
Ter facilities for knowing what he is
talking about on this subject than al
most any other man in the United
States.
And yet, he sees some signs of un-
quiet for the future. lie warns against
money on hand for the development Of
fake projects. advising that this money
he used GIN the upbuildiug Of real un-
dertakings. resting upon solid founda-
tions, - IF asked to point out such real
undertakings, he would no doubt say.
the building of new railroad lines. and
TO the question of what he considers
"solid foundations, - he would. perhaps.
reply, railroads already in operation and
doing good business. Aud in way,
both answers would he right. There is.
however. abundant opportunity for in,
vcstmcnt iii real undertakings and in
businesses that have solid foundations
in other lines as we'll as in railroads.
\ good deal of idle money that has so
g!utted the financial markets Of tho
country, has already been absorbed in
the huge issue of railroad bonds that
have been placed upon the market with.
In the last six months.
II is interesting TO note that Mr.. Har.
riman does not think that the tariff
legislation Will he Of much Importance
He Judges this, doubtless, from the Sen
ate 8 indlcat tons in the tariff debates
and votes, and Mr.. Aldrich s apparent
control, who appears 10 he masterfully
opposed to reducing any Of the schcd-
ules, and who appears TO have safe
majority at his back 10 vote to sustain
him in spite Of all the arguments as
well as of the pledges in the last Ma
II. G. 4. ID
promising n substantial reduction in the
tariff schedules through revision of the
, present customs dues. Mr.. Hartman,
therefore, concludes that faith will not
| he kept with the country, and that the
Republican party will not do the square
thing i'll the keeping Of its pledges. 1t
certainly begins TO look that way and
rs if Senator Aldrich would stand in the
same relation TO the revision of the
tariff at this time as Senator German
OF Maryland did TO the Democratic re-
| vision of 1904
OF the general question as to the III
innate reduction Of interest aud profits
on invested capital, and the passage of
laws that will permit the railroads 10
conduct themselves on their own bnsi
ness lines, and that will relieve them
! from the Affections that have been I'M
posed upon them in the last three years,
| Mr.. Hartman S forecasts seem TO be
probable enough. The country finds
that TO attack the interests of the rail
roads and other great concentrations Of
capital, costs the country far more than
1T docs those corporations, and the peo-
pie are the main sufferers when anv-
thing Of this kind is attempted on n
scale Of vindictivcncss, rccklessncss. or
| sclf-secking. such as brought on the
panic Of 1907. A political panic. al.
most entirely, aided by both the re-
sentiment and the timidity Of accumu
lated capital
| TbiS Ig mn n