Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-09-11
HIS METHODS TO CONTINUE.
No One Can Be Found Who Can Fill
Harriman's Place.


seems to be firmly fixed in the minds
of railroad men that Mr.. Harriman's 8
death will bring about no change in
the method by which his vast system
of railroads has been managed 1t Is
admitted on all sides that Mr.. Harri-
man can have no successor in the
sense that some other man could en-
ter the boards of directors and domin-
ate them as did Mr.. Hartman.
AS in Mr.. Harriman's life the boards
of the various roads constituting the
Hartman System proper will continue
to manage the railroads as they man
aged them in Mr.. Harrimans lifetime.
However, there will be this marked
difference: 1t will be board control
in every sense of the word, and not
boards controlled by one member.
Theoretically all Of the boards Of di-
rectors of the Hartman lines con-
trolled the policy of each road. AS a
matter of fact, every action was
brought before the boards for their APP
proval, but they always approved what
Mr.. Hartman desired. He had become
so successful and had made such vast
sums of money for the men who COM
posed his boards that they were cam
tent to become fgureheads and to ap-
prove without opposition anything Mr..
Hartman desired.
This one-man control is to be re-
placed, as a matter of course, by a
control by full board majorities, the
members voting as their judgment die
tates and not as some master mind de-
crees. The ultimate effect of this
change in the control of the Hartman
lines no one can foreten, but 1T is GER
tain that whatever change may come,
it will not be a change which will af-
feet the efficiency of the grade of the
service which the Hartman Lines will
give the public.
With the financial changes which
may come as the result of Mr.. Harri-
mans death, that portion of the public
served by the Hartman lines has little
concern. 1t matters not to the devel-
opment of the west, for example,
whether j. p. Morgan, Jacob schin or
some other master of finance takes
Mr.. Harrimans place in the financial
world. The railroads which he built
are equipped for the best service and
in this respect Mr.. Harrimans work
was practically completed
4 Possible Successor.
That Mr.. Harriman's successor will
be a man in the fore rank of the fnan-
cial world or a man who is able to
handle the financial end of the
management, there is also little doubt.
This man may he former Judge r. S.
Lovett, now president of one or two
of the Hartman Texas railroad corpo-
rations and also general counsel for the
Union Pacific road. Mr.. Lovett Is said
to be fitted to deal with the large finan-
cial matters which demand skillful
handling in the management Of the
great railway system. 1t may be, TOO,
that some man like H. G. Frick, of the
steel trust, who was one of Mr.. Harri-
mans closest business associates, may
consent to assume the chairmanship
of the Hartman boards. Should Mr..
Frick succeed to this position, and
should he bring the same force and
ability to bear upon railroad manage
ment- as he did in the control of his
great interests, 1t Is thought he might
come nearer than any other man io
filling Harriman's shoes.
That Mr.. Morgan would take such
responsibilities on his shoulders is not
believed possible, altho it is not i'm
probable that he might accept a posi-
ton on one or more of the Harriman,s
boards
1t is not thought at all likely that
separate presidents will be elected for
the Hartman roads for it was to get
rid of the friction caused by such an
organization that Mr.. Hartman as
sumed the presidency. AS matter of
fact there is no need of presidential
head for there are officers on the Har-
riman roads who are higher than the
grade Of president in their respective
spheres. This fact is lost sight OF by
many who discuss the probable future
of the Hartman system. Even should
there be new presidents, Julius Krutt-
schnitt, director of maintenance and
operation, and j. G. Stubbs, director Of
traffic, would not report to them. These
supreme heads of the Hartman system
will continue to report 20 the boards
In the future as they did In the past.