Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-06-08
RE|GNS
IN RAILROAD
CIRCLES
PRESIDENT GE0S RIDING
BILL GOES TO CONF FERENCE
Commerce Commission to Pass
on ReasonabIeneSS Of Pro-
posed Rates and Roads Are.
Guaranteed Square Deal,
tps Morning journal speeia, Leased wireI

" QNAf - lARNA NtN0AAiA ~ y RNtit
IRf Morning journal specia, Leased wirel
Washington June 9-rhe recent
fhrrN as TO the railroad situation be
came a thing of the past today Tn"
railroad presidents went home, Prcsi-
dent Tart went horseback riding and
the railroad bin went to conference,
Representatives of the eastern aud
central roads. at conference with
the president this afternoon agreed to
withhold all proposed freight rate
Increases until the new railroad law
becomes effective and after that TO
submit the reasonabeness of the in-
creases to the Interstate commerce
commission Tho railroads interested
in the south territory declared they
had not as vet filed notices OF in
crease, but that IL they did they
would be ready to abide by the de-
cislon of the commission.
At the capitol things We're not SO
pleasant. President TAFT sent q spe-
oial message To congress telling ct
the settlement he had reached with
the railroads ana urging that the
provision OF the railroad bill that
gives the interstate commerce com
mission power TO investigate and sus-
pend new rates be made effective inn
mediatch upon the signing on the act
rather than have it 60 into effect
along with the other clauses, which
/ have q siNty-day limitation.
The president ala this as part OF
the agreement with the railroads by
/ which be promised them q square
/ dead" and speedy determination as
TO the Justice of their new rates. He
I also did it to prevent the filing Of
any new rates during the sixty days
4 between the signing of tho act and
It's taking effect.
There was "A bitter tight in the
house as to whether the senate
amendments should be accepted as u
whole or the measure should go to
conference The insurgents and dem
ocrnts who were opposed to a confer
ence declared that the presidents
wishes could he met by in agreement
on the part Of the house. The ysegu-
iars, who desired 10 have the blll
sent to conference Tor "a smoothing
out" process. declared that the only
/ way 30 effect the presidents wishes
/ was 70 send the bill TO conference,
They finally won by six votes
I President TAFT declined Ia commit
/ himself in his message or in confer
ence with senate and house leaders
as to the necessity Of Il conference.
( He expressed the wish indicated in
hts message and left 1t to congress to
determine the best means Of meeting
that wish
The presidents conference today
was with President McCrea Of the
Pennsylvania. President Brown Of
New York Central and President Fin
ley of the southern Railway. These
men represented all the trunk lines
from Chicago eastWard. II was taken
for granted before the conference be-
gan that there would he an nmicahle
settlement and there was little sur
prise when utter an hour ana a half
the statement was issued that there
had been complete agreement
In none Of his negotiations with
the railroad presidents has President
Tau suggested that there was any
purpose on the part Of the admins
tration to apply TOR - dissolution OF
the various trunk line associations.
At he same time there had been
no intimatiOns that any of the rail- !
roads would be granted immunity !
from the operations Of the sherman
anti-trust law. The administration 1
used the ant-trust law in bringing I
the injunction suit to stop the in
creased rates simply because there T.
was no other avenue open to IT,
During the conference the question
of the ability of the Interstate COM
mcree to dispose Of all the new rates
Within the next eleven months was [
freely discussed President Tart eN- /
pressed the belief that the present /
rates gave a basis for comparison /
that would not require a great
amount OF time. President McCrea /
offered the suggestion that az certain (
basic rates form the foundation for |
all the other thousands Of rates the |
direct disposition Of the basic Ones (
might not require such q great length .
of time once the basic rates are .
tiNed the others apply almost auto
matically.
When the rate bin was brought up /
in the house. that body almost ac-
ocpted Il missing this contamination /
by the slim margin of six votes The
vote came ON a motion by Represen-
tatiVc Lenroot. an insurgcnt OF
Wisconsin 70 concur in the senate
amendments with an additional
whereby section . of the
dill. requiring increases in railroad
rates 10 he submitted To the inter
state commerce commission In adj
vaucc would become immediately ef-
fcctiVe.
The close vote was caused by
combination Of democrats and "in-
furgeut" republicans and five "regu-
lars republicans. Had the demo-
Gratis not lost six votes on their side
of the house or had the insurgents
been able to hold their full strength
instead at losing eight the bill would
have been accepted and the session ct
congress probably shortened many
days.
The bill finally was ordered to con-
Ference and conferees on the part of
the house We're named. There were
Representatives Mann of Illinois and
Wnnger of Pennsylvania trepubli-
uans3 and Adamson OF Georgia (dem-
The senate conierces are FL
kins Of West Virginia. Aldrich of
Rhode Island (republicans) aud Fos-
ter of Louisiana (democrat)
Not little surprise was 0ccasioned
by the loss Of six democratic votes.
and much speculation as "a the cause
resulted. IL was pointed out that four
Of the democrats were so-called
Tammany representatives from