New-York tribune., 1906-08-15
STUDYING RATE LAW.
PIC RAILROAD COUNCIL.
ro,rgers of Southern and Eastern
Lines in Conference.

..,,r,ic city, Aug. 14-More than sixty
,ors representing all the larger railroads
If the Mississippi River. particularly those
,.orsjng the territory south OF the Ohio River
:, .be New England States. assembled here
se, 70 make a detailed study Of the provi-
...as Of the Railroad Rate bill. which goes into
80, IN wednesday. August % The members
= the conference consist OF the chief counsels,
,srsl solicitors and other members of the
'.o.l departments OF the railroad corporations.
rx-Judge Edward Baxter. OF Nashville Tenn.
.scial counsel to several Of the leading South
en- railroad companies. the presiding officer,
said.
This meeting of attorneys was called by the
vaortfve and traffic officers OF the railroads east
- fhe Mississippi River and south of the Ohio
p;rer Counsel Of all the Eastern trunk lines
we're also invited to participate in the meeting
sltbough afterward learned that the Penn
S-5vsnia the Baltimore & Ohio and the New
Work Central roads, with some other companies,
-rene holding a meeting of their own.
series of printed questions, asking opinions
,s 10 the meaning of various provisions of the
1r.erstate Commerce act as amended on June %
Isl were presente'J to US for answer. 1 an
-rered them. and my answers are being taken
m one by one for discussion, Already some
teve been approved, some rejected and others
isi5 over for further discussion. They involve
,sny important subjects and cannot be dis
,gTssed in or two days
ne have not met here TO find anV waV to
,vsde or avoid the new law. We are here solely
"a consult among ourselves and decide just what
,,rr clients viii be compelled to do in order TO
airy out the provisions Of the new measure
TFe questions are not secret, but they are
lengthy We would not object to making them
nrblic Il the daily press would give the space to
,--ut them IN full, together with their answers
Tbeye are questions which, If printed alone with
.bair answers would be misunderstood by the
nrblic so II has been decided TO keep the Ques-
AIMS 70 ourselves II cannot be made too en-
rbsfic however. that We are here on a peaceful
mission. and do not expect to even COM
-nunicate with the Interstate Commerce Com
mission
A large corps Of stenographers is present to
take in detail the arguments over the many
points Of difference among the legal representa-
fives guard IS stationed at the entrance TO
The committee room and strangers are not per-
mittea 10 get within earshot
Among those present at the conference are J.
n Culp. third vice-president: H. B. Spencer,
general manager; L Green. freight traffic man.
sRer; s. II. Hardwick. passenger traffic man
sFer; Alfred P. Thorn, general counsel, all OF
Washington Alexander P. Humphrey. general
counsel. Louisville; Hamilton McWhorter. as
sistant general counsel, Athens, Ga. represent
ing the Southern Railway: E. L. Russell gen.
sral counsel. Mobile & Ohio Railroad, Mobile,
Ala: John ]. Hall, general counsel. Georgia
southern & Florida Road, Macon, Ga; Edward
Coston. general counsel. Queen & Crescent
Road. Cincinnati; P L. Stone. general counsel.
Louisville & Nashville Railroad. Louisville:
v G. Elliott, general counsel, Atlantic Coast
Line; T. R. Watts general counsel Seaboard
Air Line; Charles L. Hamlin. Boston & Maine
Railroad. and others.