The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-03-20
PRES. MELLEN MUM ON
 VISIT TO WHITE HOUSE
CONFERENCE WITH THE PRESI- DENT LASTED ABOUT THIRTY
 EYE MINUTES.


 ticuIar Questions Discusse d--Head
 of the New York. New Haven and
 Hartford Left Capital at 5.s5 p. m.
 for This City-Nothing Heard From
 Presidents McCrea, Newman and
 Hughitt.
 Washington, March 19-The inter- view between President Roosevelt and Charles s. Mellen, the president of the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroad, recently arranged for the pur- pose of discussing the railroad situa- tion, took place at the White House to- day. It lasted not more than thirty five minutes. No statement of the par ticular questions discussed was made at the White House. and MT. Mellen de- clined to talk. To all questions bear ing on the conference he referred his inquirers to Secretary Loeb, adding that anything he might say might be con- strued as having a bearing on the pres ent situation. MT. MelIen was asked whether he would again visit the White House for a conference with the presi- dent, but he replied that ne did not ex- pect to, unless he was sent for. Almost in the same breath, however, he said that perhaps he might come, after all, even if not sent for, as he is in the habit of making frequent visits to the capital. MT. Mellen Is 8 warm friend of President Roosevelt, and frequently when he comes to Washington pays a visit to the White House.
 MT. Mellen's visit to-day is the out come of call made to the White House last week by (. Pierpont Morgan, the New York financier, who came to Washington, at the request of many business men, to discuss the present business situation, particularly as af- fecting the railroads. At the time MT. Morgan suggested to the president that it would be greatly in the public inter- est if he would see certain railroad presidents and confer with them "as to what steps might be taken to allay the public anxiety to the relations between the railroads and the government"
 The visit of MT. Mellen followed the conference he had several weeks ago with Presidents McCrea, Newman and Hughitt, of the Pennsylvania, New York Central and Chicago and North western railroads, respectively. These four were the names suggested to Mir Roosevelt by MT. Morgan. It is not known at the White House whether Messrs. MeCrea, Newman and Hughitt will visit MT. Roosevelt The president will see them if they come. So far they have not been heard from.
 Following the departure of MT. Mel len, Interstate Commerce Commission CT Franklin Lane came to the White House and had talk with the presi- dent about railroad matters. Attorney General Bonaparte also conferred with the president.
 During the past three weeks Presi- dent Roosevelt has had visits from half a dozen well-known financiers and rail- road men, with all of whom he hasedis- cussed various phases of the railroad situation. These include J. P. Morgan and James Speyer, of New York Pres- ident Stickney, of the Chicago Great Western railroad; B. F. Yoakum, the chairman of the board of directors of the Chicago, RocS< Island and Pacific; B. H. Hartman, of the Union Pacific, and Charles s. Mellen, of the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroad, All of these persons have made specific rec concentrations incorporating their ideas on the question whether the president should recommend additional railroad legislation, and most of them have urged him to make a statement defn- ing his attitude in explicit terms, with a view to allaying public apprehension on the subject that may exist, Gener- ally tbere has been but little approach to unanimity in these recommendations. He has referred his callers who want information as to his attitude to his public declarations on this general sub- ject, and has told them that he, means to be consistent with what he has al- ready said. The president says frank ly that he is learning all he can re- garding the railroad situation, and that ne luISnQS IO COHlluuS IO COlISull Wllu railroad people and others on the sub ject. It is understood he is making in quiries on some points pertaining to federal supervision and control of the railroads, to fhe question of an ap- praisement of the psysical valuation of such properties and to the matter of the issue of various forms of indebted ness. As to the last named, he regards it as perfectly proper and he sees no objection to a proper issue of obliga- tions for equipment, terminals and bet terments, but t1inks thefe should be a careful scrutiny to see that stocks or bonds are issued for such purposes.
 The president has not reached any final determination as to whether he will make any recommendations to con- gross for legislation on any of these matters. His position is that he is sim ply pursuing diligently the study of these questions and obtaining all the information available before acting.
 When he has made up his mind and is ready to tell the public just what his attitude is on particular questions, and specifically on the railroad issue, he will do so in a speech or in a message to congress. The president is scheduled to make four speeches between now and the middle of June, and it is ex- pected he will have something to say on the railroad question in one of these Snpnphas