The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-05-03
No Chance Now for
Taft S Cherished Rail
road Measure.
LEADERS ADMIT
THEIR DEFEAT.
Only Hope Of Administration Is
to Put Responsibility on Insur-
gents-Taft Told Over Tele-
phone That Situation Is
Hopeless-Even Emas-
culated Bill May Fail.

Washington, d. c., May 2.-Presi-
dent Taft's railroad legislation will be
emasculated.
At the close OF the protracted con-
ference of leading Regular Republic
can Senator's tonight 1t was apparent
gents had been virtually successful
and that the sections OF the bill rela-
tive to traffic agreements and merg
ers. Which Senator Cunmins and other
insurgents have been lighting to
amend, will be abandoned.
Practically nothing distinctive Of the
original bill will remain, save the sec
tions providing for the creation of a
Court of Commerce. Even that has
had a perilous time in the House. and
nobody tonight is prepared to guar
antee that 1t will be enacted.
In fact. the differences between the
Sennte and House are so great that, in
view of the radical action decided on
by the Senate leaders tonight, it
would surprise nobody If the entire
bill should fail In conference.
Taft Is Informed.
So serious became the situation OF
the bill late to-day that President
Taft himself, at Pittsburg, was adj
vised OF the situation by Senator Aid
rich.
Despairing of putting the bill
through the Senate in the form in
which il was reported from the Com
nlittae on Inters tate Commerce. the
leaders in the conference tonight. de-
cided to eliminate Section Z. which the
Insurgents claim practically would
have repealed the Sherman antitrust
law ny permitting traffic agreements.
and Section Il. which would have le-
ga1ized mergers in cases where one
railroad corporation owning already
so per cent. of another desired TO con-
troll outright.
Upon the insurgents the admins
tration will endeas-ac to place the re-
sponsibility for the failure of the
Taft railroad legislation. To Senator
AIdrich, over the telephone, Mr.. Taft is
said TO have expressed himself en-
phatically to this effect:
That he had initiated the pending
measure and had advocated 1t through
out ,he country in the form in which
il was reported TO the Senate, and
that If combination of Insurgenr
Republicans ard Democrats rendered
1t lmpCSElDle lOF lle ftepuDllCdll MA
jority to enact the bill. then he felt
that the administration should be re-
lieved of responsibility for its defeat.
He rested tn, entire matter in the
hands of Senat'r Aldrich and his Re-
publican associates, who were there in
conference.
In the conference were Senator's
Aldrich. Elkins Carter, Kean, Crane.
Root, Curtis, Flint, Brandegee, Lodge,
and from time to time others of the
Republican leaders.
4 Ray of Hope.
Although admittedly estopped from
passing the bin In the form in which
they wished, the administration Sen
ators at once began the formulation
of plans through which they will en-
deavor to take away from the Insur-
gent Republicans the chance to claim
a cleanscut victory for themselves.
They even wore an air of iubilation
over the prospect of putting the In
surgents to ro1t on the pending Cum
minis amendment to the traffic agree
ment section, which will be the first
matter voted upon when the bill is
again taken ur, probably tomorrow.