The daily Nome industrial worker., 1916-06-01
development.

As railroad man Hill made many and egregious mistakes. Bu. he was careful man, and full of care in nothing more earnestly than in his financial alliances. He was not stock gambler even to the limited extent was Hartman He had not Harriman's imagination and we may well doubt if he had his ability. Mellen, now the fallen one who trying to rehabilitate the New York New Haven and Hort ford discovered only that that road was the graveyard of railroad repu- tations, YVES man with greater ability then Hill.
 Mellen with a strictly limited power when president of the North ern Pacific really woroted Hill in every deal Hill coveted the con trol of the Burlington, but he could only accomplish that in alliance with the Northern Pacific. Hill wanted the Seattle end Intcrnation- al road. Mcllen bought it from under his nose. Hill wanted the Monte Cristo road and Mollen again manipulated it so that that road passed into the possession of the Northern Pacific, giving direct and easy connection with Hills own town of Everett. Along the entire rival lines of the Great Northern and the Northern Pacific tho same superior strategy of Mellen was ma infested. It ended In the downfall of Mellcn through the influence of Hill with J. P. Morgan who how ever frightened the fall by pretenc- ing the necessity of the New Haven for 8 man of Mollen's cal iber.
 The story of Hills control of the situation as fer as an employer of labor is concerned is no better and no worse than many others. Labor to these captains of industry is q matter of secondary importance. The necessity of the situation Is profit making end dividend seeking. Hill had no mission to provide occu- patton for well paid workers or to develop for tho convenience of pros porous settlers the country tributa- ry to his road.
 The main thing was that his rail- road should prove remunorative; add to his own wealth and that of his fellow owners. Anything that contributed to that fortunate con- dition was we'll; anything that did not was i'll.
 It is manifest that the most inn portant feature of the control of an industry by this man-as is the most important feature of industrI- al control by any man-is the power that it gives. Over he has got literally the power of life and death. He can discharge thousands from the oc- equations which afford them the means of subsistence and he can with stroke of his pen lower the standard of living of hundreds of thousands. Few if any ever dwell unop tbic onorpooue powor which fs exercised over the people by thoS, who control their livelihood. Yet It is without question the gravest of all matters involved in such pr1- vate ownership. Tho question or not they serve the pub- lie efficiently and woll or ineffective ly and i'll is as nothing compared to that.
 It does make terrific lot of diff- srence socially and morally and po- ltically if thousands are to be in 1ustrially subject to one man. You cannot expect that under such con- 1itions free men will thrive. If to- lay or tomorrow for uttering sem .iments opposed to the industrial ,verlords here or there this man of hat Is to be busted from his living, such condition is not conducive to freedom.
 Giving Hill all the credit for his powerful intellect and unquestion- able administrative ability, his pe- letrating judge of human character md his capacity to make the most # the opportunities were his, 'urely it Is too much power for my man to have that he can call