The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-11-25
TAFT. CONSIDERING
VARIOUS PROBLEMS
Issues That Range From Inter.
state Commerce TO White
Slave Traffic Discussed.
TRANSPORTATION QUESTION
THE MOST IMPORTANT
President viii Make New Rec
concentrations TO Congress in
Forthcoming Message.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2t.-Forego.
ing contemplated horseback ride be.
cause of snowStorm. President Taft
devoted the entire afternoon 10 con
| tcrenccs covering proposed amendments
! 10 the interstate commerce law. lcgis-
lation looking 10 the suppression of the
whIie slave - traffic, the appointment
of successor to the late Judge Bethea
oi the United States district court at
Chicago and the appointment of a COS.
ernor of the territory Of New Mexico.
| The conference with regard 10 the
interstate commerce law changes WIS
the most important tho president has
| mad on that subject. IL was said that
he practically is ready 10 begin this
part Of his message 10 congress.
Big Men Present.
At the conference were Attorney Gen
cral Wickersham, Postmaster General
! Hitchcock, Chairman Knapp and Com
missioner Lane of the interstate com
merce commissions; District Attorney
! Sims of Chicago, who conducted the
| government S prosecution in the fa-
nous $50 100000 Standard Oil case, aud
Representative Mann OF Illinois chair
man of the house committee on foreign
and interstate commerce.
( With District Attorney Sims and Mr.
! Mann the president also took up the
''whlte slave question. Mr.. Mana
I IS to introduce Il bill on this subject
| Mr.. Mann believes that only the gov
ernmcnt can control thc evil, and Tho
bill he has drafted provides heavy
penalty for the enticement of a girl
for immoral purpose. thereby causing
| her 10 20 as 4 passenger over any trans
! portation line engaged III interstate
or foreign commerce,
District Attorney Sims has bccu rec
commended FOR appointment TO the fed
] eral bench 10 succeed Judge Betheu.
! No decision as 10 this VarancY was
reached. so far as can be learned.
| President Taft S views as 10 amend
mcnis 10 the interstate commerce law
have been pretty generally known since
his Dcs Moines speech on September
90 The conference al the White house
this afternoon. il was stated, WAS to
work out details of desired amend
ments
New Court Proposed
IT is proposed 10 establish an inter.
state commerce court Of five members
TO consider appeals from rates fixed
| by the interstate commerce commission.
The president also will recommend
| legislation to prevent one interstate
railroad from owning stock in com,
pctiug line. and 10 compel roads thus
owning stock TO dispose of thcir hold
ings. Legislation to prevent the over
issue of stocks and bonds VIII he one
of the strongest recommendations Mr..
Taft will make. the president S prop
osjion being that no stocks or bonds
shall be issued except by permission
of the interstate commerce commits
SION.
Giving to shippers the choice Of
routes over various connecting lines is
another amendment the president fa-
VorS.
Mr. Taft believes that the inter
state commerce law should give the
commission power 20 hear and remedy
complaints against unjust classlbca'
tions.
1t is perfectly clear, he declares, that
By including IN the same class articles
which ought to paw different rates.
railroad can commit exactly the samo
kind of injustice rs il would by Impos-
ing an cXorbitant fate as 10 any one
class
Other Changes Suggested.
To give the commission power 10 in
sttute complaints, aud not so limit
ii TO the consideration Of complaints
made from the outside, is another
change in the law 10 which thc presl.
MIR. Taft believes that this authority
must be given TO tue commission 10
make it's work effective. Mr.. Taft
however, is not in favor of the letting
down the bars entirely and giving the
commission absolute power TO FIX rates
IN advance on its own inltiative with
out complaint being fled
II is proposed that the Interstate
commerce commission bc given au-
fhoritv 10 suspend for thirty days a
new rate classification, providing COM
plaint is made that the rates arc unjust
The subject which has given The
president and his advisers mucn con-
ccru is the proposal TO permit railroads
TO make rate agreements. Mr TAFT
holds that railroads should be pcr-
mittcd 10 agree upon rates that shall
not exactly be pooling contracts, but
shall constitute agreements as TO rates,
provided ALWAYS that such agreements
shall receive the approval of tbe utter
state commerce commission.
\ delegation of coal operators and
representative of the Miners union
called upon President Taft today 10
urge that railroads be permitted To
pool rates Us Il means of providing
against ear shortage.