East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1911-03-02
Rate Decision not likely to
effect Portland Huntington
line improvements
OFFICIALS PREPARE REPORT
FOR PRESIDENT LOVETT
Head of Hartman System and Other
High Officials Due to Arrive In
Portland Latter Part of Week
Expected That Orders for Starting
Work Will Be Issued at Once.

Acting General Manager NJ. J.
Buckley and number of operating
officials of the O.-W R. G. n. are on
a tour of inspection of the system for
the purpose of preparing a report to
President r. S. Lovett and Vice Pres
dent Kruttschnitt when they shall ar
rive in Portland, probably the latter
part of the week. 1t is understood
that the principal report submitted to
the head of the Hartman system will
have to do with the double-tracking
Of the main line from Portland to
Huntington, which betterment aI-
ready has been approved and is
part of the SIS, 100000 Union Pacific
Southern Pacific budget recently an
nounced,
While there is some belief that the
recent rate decision by the interstate
commerce commission might have
the effect of curtailing expenses and
blocking all proposed extensions and
improvements, it is not anticipated
that the decision will have any -e-
rious effect on projects already voted
on and approved.
The double-tracking which is like
| ly to be ordered started at once after
President Lovett has had confer
ence with local Hartman officials
will involve an expenditure of over
100000 during the year 1911. and
something like that sum for each Of
the next five years during which the
Hartman system expects to spend the
5000, 900.
The local officials on their present
tour have covered practically all Of
the principal lines involved in the re-
cent O.-W. r. & N, the oregon q
Washington and the North Coast, or
"Strahorn' road, on which it is pro-
posed to spend about sS,000,000 in
the next two years in cutting the dis
tance between Portland and Spokane
54 miles. This is another project
which will probably be taken up early
this spring.
Acting Manager Buckley hopes to
be able to persuade President Lovett
and Director Kruttschnitt to take q
trip up over the Deschutes railroad,
which is now completed to Crooked
river, in case these officials have the
time to give for such side-trip DUR
ing their stay in this territory
While no definite information has
been received at Hartman head
quarters as to the time of the arrival
of the Lovett special from California
it is anticipated that the party wiil
reach Portland by the end of the
week.
Vice President and General Mama
ger j. P. O'Brien, who has been on
leave of absence for the past month,
may return to Portland with the par
ty, although the latest word received
from him was that he would not reach
Portland before March Or s.
Since the Missouri Pacific has pass
ed into control of the Hartman PA
cities there have been many ru-
mors that it would be reorganized
and the system put into the hands Of
some Of the present higher-ups Of
the Hartman coterie. In this con-
nection, rumors have been spread
abroad to the effect that some changes
would be made in the executive de-
partment of the roads in this terri
tory, but these reports cannot be
traced to any authoritative origin.