Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-25
TAFT CONFERS
WITH CABINET
COMMERCE LAW Is SUBJECT
OF DISCUSSION
PROMINENT MEN ATTEND I'M
PoRTANT MEETING
White Slave Traffic Is Also Among
Themes Considered by President
and Federal Officers at
White House
tAssociated Pressl

WASHINGTON, Nov. 24.-Foregolng
contemplated horseback ride because
of a snow storm. President Taft de-
voted the entire afternoon to confer
ences covering proposed amendments
t. the interstate commerce law, legis-
lation looking to the suppression of the
white slave" traffic, the appointment
of a successor to the late Judge Bethea
of the United States district court at
Chicago, and the appointment of a gov
ernor for the territory of New Mexico
The conference with regard to in
terstate commerce law changes was
the most important the president has
had on that subject.
1t is said he practically is ready to
begin this part of his message to con-
gress.
At the conferences were Attorney
General Wickersham, Postmaster Cen
eral Hitchcock, Chairman Knapp and
Commissioner hane of the interstate
commerce commission, District Attor-
ney Sims Of Chicago. who conducted
the government prosecution In the Ia
nous 500, 1000, 900 Standard Oil case, and
Representative Mann of Illinois, chair
man of the house committee on for
eign and Interstate commerce.
With District Attorney Sims and Mr..
Mann the president also took UP the
white slave" question.
Mr.. Mann is to introduce a bill on
this subject. Mr.. Mann believes that
the government Is the only authority
that can cope with the evil, and the
bill he has drafted provides a heavy
penalty for the enticement of a girl
for immoral purposes, thereby causing
her to go as a passenger over any
transportation line engaged in inter
state or foreign commerce.
May Appoint Sims
District Attorney Sims has been rec
commended for appointment to the fed
eral bench to succeed Judge Bethea.
No decision as to this vacancy was
reached, so far as can be learned.
President Taft's views as to amend
ments to the interstate commerce law
have been pretty generally known
since his Des Moines speech on Septem-
ber 20.
The conference at the White House
this afte: noon, 1t was stated, was to
work out details of desired amend
ments.
1t is proposed to establish an inter-
state commerce court of five members
to consider appeals from rates fixed
sion.
The president also will recommend
legislation to prevent one interstate
railroad from owning stock in a COM
peting lire and to compel roads thus
owning stock to dispose of their hold
ings.
Legislation to prevent the overissue
of stocks and bonds will be one of the
strongest recommendations Mr.. Taft
, T1aa IA
being that no stock or bonds shall be
issued except by permission of the in
terstate commerce commission.
Giving to shippers the choice Of routes
over various connecting lines Is an
other amendment the president favors.
Mr. Taft believes that the interstate
commerce law should give the commits
sion power to hear and remedy COM
plants against unjust classification.
Perfectly Clear
1t is perfectly clear he declares, that
by including in the same class articles
which ought to pay diKerent rates. a
railroad can commit exactly the same
kind of injustice as it would by i'm
posing an exorbitant rate as to any
one class.
To give the commission power to in
stitute complaints and not to limit 1t
to the consideration of complaints made
from the outside is another change in
the law to which the president is de-
voting much attention.
Mr.. Taft believes that the authority
must be given to the commission to
make its work effective. Mr.. Taft,
however, is not in favor of the letting
down the bars entirely and giving the
commission absolute power to fix in ad-
vance on it's own initiative without
complaint being filed.
1t is proposed that the interstate
commerce commission be given author
ity to suspend for thirty days a new
rate classification, providing complaint
is made that the rates are unjust.
A subject which has given the presi-
dent and his advisers much concern is
the proposal to permit railroads to
make rate agreements Mr.. Taft holds
that railroads should be permitted to
agree upon rates that shall not exact
ly be pooling contracts but shall con-
stitute agreements as to rates-pro-
vided always that such agreements
shall receive the approval of the inter-
state commerce commission.
A delegation of coal operators and
a representative of the miners union
called upon the president today to urge
that railroads be permitted to pool rates
as a means of providing against car
shortages.