The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-11
kruttschnitt Finds People
Want To Be Absolutely
Fair In Legislation
FEELING SPREADS
OVER THE NATION
Even Hartman Before His Death
FOresaw That There Would Come
Striking Change of Atti-
tude Toward Lines
BY HOLLAND.

| New York, November 10.-(Special.)-Tt
was especially that part of the country
which e. Fl. Hartman described, as the
empire like southwest" of which julius
kruttschnitt spoke in his brief and vet
highly significant statement published a
few days ago. Mr.. Kruttschnitt knew
| the southwest well long before he became
| chairlnan of the board of the Southern
Pacific Railroad company. He knew that
section both as an engineer, of which pro-
fession he is a master, and as an oper-
ating railroad executive.
The intellectual gifts which enabled his
uncle, who had been Secretary .of Stqre
| in the cabinet of Jefferson Davis, to begin
new career in London when past mid
die age and to gain in a few years COM
mon acknowledgement as the ablest bar
rister in Great Britain, are illustrated in
the career of this nephew. The gift of
| business craftsmanship which is, In part
| the power of forecasting the possibilities
and the opportunities OF the future were
among the qualities which strongly recon-
mended Mr.. Kruttschnitt to E. II. Har-
| riman.
| The two men were in perfect sympathy
respecting the future of the great south
west Mr.. Hartman himself never spoke
with greater enthusiasm of the possibili-
/ ties which the resources of the vast region
once called the Great American Desert"
possesses than Hr Kruttschnitt has done.
/ Both men had profound understanding of
the relation which railway construction
and operation has to the high develop
ment of this great section of the coun-
try. A year or two before Mr. Hartman 8
death he is reported to have said to one
of his intimate friends in this city that
| the southwest would in time prove to be
| the richest section of the country, both
absolutely and relatively. Furthermore,
he said that people who were opening up
to cultivation and development this Sec
| tion would in time become friends and
supporters of the railroad.
Change of View
When Mr. Hartman made this remark
public sentiment in the southwest was
strongly set against the railroads Both
he and Mr.. Kruttschnitt, as well as Judge
Lovett, Mr.. Harriman's successor, were
confident that the time would come when
public sentiment in Texas, which had not
been very favorable to the railroads,
would be so changed as to make 1t pos
sible to procure the capital necessary for
the railroad development which that great
opportunities.
Now Mr.. Kruttschnitt reports publicly
that he has observed recently the begin
ming of the very change of sentiment
which Mr.. Hartman and he predicted
would take place. He finds that the peo-
pie who dwell within the immediate vi
cnity of the railroad lines over which he
has authority are of friendly disposition,
not desiring any further radical legis-
| lation, or, in fact, any legislation at all,
| excepting that which may be of advantage
both to the railroads and the people.
| Mr.. Kruttschnitt clearly intimates in
| his statement that only one obstacle now
| stands in the way of the railroad ex-
pansion and Improvement in the south
west which are so greatly needed. That
| is an obstacle for which the people are
not responsible. 1t is the condition of
the money market. This makes 1t diff
cult for the railroad companies to OBJ
tain funds excepting in a hand-to-mouth
/ way and at heavy cost. When normal
conditions are restored we shall prob
ably see great railway expansions
be welcomed by the energetic people who
now live there and will be followed by
very great increase in the population of
that section.
What Is the Reason
The addresses delivered at one time or
another in the past four or five years
/ by Howard Elliott have been collected
and are now published in single volume.
Any one who reads these addresses Will
not fail to discover one OF the reasons
Iwhy the public sentiment toward the
railroads is changing. Mr.. Elliott, when
| president of the Northern Pacific Rail-
road company, turned his back on all
| the precedents, for ne took the people
who were dependent upon his railroad
and upon whom his railroad depended
completely into his confidence Some of
these addresses read more like the con-
| fdent appeal of some great thinker who
| is not actively identified with the rail-
roads than like any address delivered to
| the public by railroad managers. Some
of james ]. Hill's addresses have had this
oualiry, although with Mr.. Hill the dispo-
sitiou seems still to be that of a great
| { oommander or an imperious intellect
| rather than friendly counselor and
4 neighborly adviser.
Another Wise Counselor
| The addresses of President Elliott as a
whole have had great influence in the
northwest. And the two or three which he
| has made since he became the exc ,utive
head of the New Haven railroad system
plade it clear that he has not lost the
nigh art of friendly appeal or forgotten
| the profound principle of cooperation
which. In his view, lies at the bottom Of
advantageous relations between the peop-
| pie and the railroad companies
| The addresses recently delivered by
Daniel Willard. president of the Baiti-
more and Ohio railroad, have all con-
| 4.;,oa n pota uhich Is in perfect har-