The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-12
IS A MATTER
 OF PRINl5 PILE Control of Ra::s Jad Cor 'ew+,y 4'' PREslDEN1S STANDS FIRM Congress Must Act or Hold
 Extra Session. Revision of Tariff . Mere Matter Of Expediency. But Regulation of
 Freight Rates is Not

Washington. Jan. 11.-President Roosevelt continued today his confer ence with members of Congress on the subject of tariff revision and of leg islation providing for an icrease of the powers of tine interstate commerce comission.
 One statement which stands out al- most with the pre-eminence of an of- ficial announcement, unless congress at the present session should enact legis- lation looking to regulation of rail- road freight rates. an extraordinary session of the fifty-ninth congress will be called by the President to deal with that problem.
 It can be said that the President regards the interstate commerce Ques- ton as the paramount issue now be- fore tine American people. At the con- ference last Saturday he informed those whom he had summoned into consultation that, in his judgment the question of railroad freight rates was far more important that that of tbe readjustment of the existing custom duties. he would not permit any yad- ica1 differences in the Republican par ty on that question.
 Action Must Re Had.
 He said definitely that he would call an extraordinary session of con- gross to consider interstate commerce legislation unless definite action was taken by congress on the subject at the present session. At that session he hoped tariff revision to the extent he had judicated might be accomplished but he made 1t perfectly clear that. in his mind. the overshadowing issue was that of railroad freight rates.
 In the talk today with Speaker Can- non, who Is recognized as being op- posed at this time to any revision of the tariff, the President reiterates his statement made at Saturdays confer ence, that while he desired action on the question, he was willing to abide by the judgment of the Republican leaders in Congress, as he regarded the tariff matter as one which the chosen representatives of the American peo- pie should determine.
 He indicated in so many words, that. while fifty years hence practically mo- body would be able to say whether the tariff duties on any given article were 50 per cent ad valorem or cents ad valorem. and nobody would care any thing about what the duties were, the interstate commerce question involved a principle dear to every right think ing and right minded American pre- clsely as the whole matter of dealing with corporations involves a principle and he would fight for that principle with all the power that in him lies.
 Tariff Matter of ExpedIency.
 The President corroborated today the statement attributed to him that the tariff question was one of mere ex- pediency which would be solved with out friction between him and the Con- gress. Any serious differences he Is known to have said, between him and the Congress on the tariff revision matter. are quite impossible.
 Speaker Cannon declined, when he left the White House. to discuss seri- ously the tariff revision question:
 You gentlemen" he said, addressing the newspaper men in response to in- quIries, "have exhausted your imagi- Now give us something on death or the devil or some other kindred live topic"
 Pressed for a statement concerning the prospect of an extraordinary ses- sion, Speaker Cannon said that Theo- dore Roosevelt was the only man in the United States who could call an ex- traordinary session and that he would announce in due time his decision.
 Representative Murdock of Kansas talked with the President today about the interstate commerce question When he left the White House he said he had no doubt that an extraordinary session of the next Congress would be called to consider railroad rate Ngis- lation unless something of a practical nature should be accomplished at the present session.