The Washington herald., 1912-02-14
Will Be Angel Before He
Will Go in Steel Busi-
ness, Says Hill.
WALL STREET NOT MUCH
Railroad Man Tells Stanley Com
mittee a Few Truths About
Affairs of the Day.

James J. Hills rugged personality
came to the front within the last ten
minutes of testimony before he finally
left the witness stand yesterday. Here
are some of the things he said:
I'm be a first-class angel, with red
and white feathers In my wings before
III ever go into the steel business"
when the Federal government has to
regulate commerce, thereIl be no Fed
eral government"
'sThe age of competition won't pass un-
til you change human nature. II will
exist as long as the law Of the survival
Of the fittest is true."N
I'VE are not wearing any crepe be-
cause the United States Steel Corporation
is giving up our leases"
wall streets opinion has never infiu-
enced me particularly. I'm satisfied to
hold my ore interests"
Attacks Governments Report.
Unlike Carnegie. Gary. or Perkins,
Jim" Hill ruggedly attacked the opin-
ions and conclusions OF the governments
corporation commission, as well as Wall
street
He declared that Herbert Knox Smiths
conclusions as to the steel business are
so divergent from what his knowledge
has taught him that he didn't bother
about finishing reading the report. Rep
resentative Gardner, of Massachusetts,,
asked him If he would not read it care
fully and talk to the committee about II.
pointing out what he believed 20 be in
correct deductions. Hill refused, declar-
ing that he didn't have time, and he
wasn't any expert anyway"
Representative Gardner asked him
whether it wasn't true that the news
that the Steel Corporation was going
TO break the lease on the Hill ore lands
had not sent the price OF Northern Ore
certificates. He declared that the opin-
ion formed of an industry by Wall street
or the public was not regarded by him
as of any great Importance.
Steel Trust "FrIghtcned.o
Several times during his six hours on
the witness stand yesterday the grizzled
veteran of mine and railroad declared
that he didn't know what made the
Steel company seek to break the ore
contracts for the Missabe ore lands.
They must have been frightened by
something he said.
Most of the afternoon session had been
spent in discussing the details OF the
ore deposits in the Missabe region. At
$50 the committee excused Mr.. Hin, but
Representative BeaI. of Texas, -sasked
the veteran to remain a moment. :
Carnegie and Gary and many others
have expressed the opinion that the age
of competition has passed." said the
Representative. They declare the time
has come when some government agency
must control the big interests. What do
you think of that?''
Always Competition.
Hill replied:
This will be only my personal opinion
But 1 think that IL you can change
human nature, the age OF competition
will pass. You will have to eliminate
the selfish motive which moves every
human being. 1 think that there will be
competition in the world as long as sur
vival of the fittest lasts. And when the
Federal government takes a hand, then
there will be no more Federal govern
ment / don't want to live here then"
Chairman Stanley then took a hand:
IT." he said, "alI the big concerns
should organize for their own selfish mo-
tives and interests and operate under a
new commercial golden rule of broth
erly love, dividing all they get from dis
gorging society, and use this power to
ployes, how long would you say the gov
ernment could last?
Last for n Week.
Might last a week." Hill replied.
Representative Bartlett said: You
tried the railroad combination game,
didn't YOU, once?"
"Oh, you mean Northern securities?"
asked Hill. u was in tight place"
Bartlett-"But the courts got you out?'
Hill-'1 was mighty glad to get out. /
had to raise $9O,OO000O in three months,
and IL I hadn't those properties would
have been drawn into the Southern Pa
cific, as big a combination as ever ex-
listed In this country"