The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-06-07
In Return, Injunction
Suit Will Be Dis
continued.
--
FULL AGREEMENT
MADE WITH TAFT
Believed That All Other Rail
roads Which Have Filed In
creases viii Abide by Result
Of White House Conference.
Roads Are Assured OF Square
Deal"

Deal"
Washington, d. c., June GA COM
plcte agreement between the govern
Inent and the recently enJoined rnil-
roads of the Western Trunk Line As
sociatfon, WINS reached at n White
House conference which lnsted for
more thnn four hours this afternoon.
The railroads represented agreed to
withdraw NIL rate increases filed 10
be effective on or after June i, and
agreed to file no more increases until
the bill in Congress, which gives the
Interstate Commerce Commission power
to investigate and suspend Increases
that nre not justified, becomes a law
and goes into effect.
President Taft thercupon stated that
the administrations purpose in bring
Ing the Injunction suit had been ne
complshed, and the suit would he dis
continued. The discOntinnancc Will not
he entered, however, until after the
new railrond Law is signed.
The belief was expressed tonight
that all of the other railroads of the
country which have filed Increased
rates, or have such a plan under con-
sideration, Will abide by the agreement
reached today with the twenty-four
railroads named as defendants in the
recent suit.
Another Conference.
There will be a conference at the
White House to o-morrow, in which
Presidents Brown, of the New York
Central Railroad; McCrea, of the
Pennsylvania. and other officials rep
resenting railroads in the Eastern and
Central territory will participate.
That they will acquiesce in President
Taft's proposition. and hold UP the
proposed increases until after the new
law becomes effective is practically
taken for granted here tonight.
Every one connected with to-day's
conference seemed grat.tied over the
outcome. MI thst President TAFT has
desired is That tile Interstate Com
nerce Commission should have au-
tority to Investigate increases in
rates to determine whether or no.
they are justified by prevailing condi-
lions and are Just to the shippers.
This power is TO be conferred under
the new law.
The railroads. on the other hand, 1T
is pointed out, are to be relieved of
embarrassing litigation, are assured of
a square deal" when their case is
presented to the Interstate Commerce
the contracts for improvements and
extensions which they threatened to
cancel had the court proceedings con-
tinued.
The new railroad bill contains a
clause which gives 1t effect sixty days
after being signed by the President. It
will be necessary to make the pro-
vision as to the supervision of rates
by the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion Immediately effective. and for this
reason, as President Taft indicated to-
night. 1t will be necessary to send the
bill to conference.
Statement Issued.
Attorney-General Wickersham Sec
retary Of State Knox. Secretary of
Commerce and Labor Nagel and
Aressrs Knapp and Lane. of the Inter
state Commerce Commission, partici-
pated in the conference. At the con-
clusion OF the conference. the follow
ing statement was Issued:
''E. P. Ripley, president of the Atch-
ison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad
Company; Walker D. Hines, acting
chairman executive committee, Atchi-
son. Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad
Company; Frederick a. Delano, presi-
dent of the Wabash Railroad Company,
and S. NJ. FELTON,, president of the
Chicago Great Western Railroad Com
pany, a committee representing the
twenty-four railroad companies de-
fendant in suit brought by the gov
ernment in Missouri. in which Judge.
Dyer granted an injunction restrain
Ing increase in rates, met the Presi-
dent and Attorney to-day,
pursuant to a request sent to the Pres
ident a few days ago.
ba Drn cta ~.
tlemen at the outset that the purpose
of the suit was to prevent the proposed
rate increases (Which, under the exist
law, could not be Investigated at all
until after they had become effective)
so as to preserve the status until the
new statute could be passed and the
commissioner should have the power
to investigate rate advances as soon as
announced and before becoming effec-
tive
''He stated further that he thought
the railroad companies must withdraw
the tariffs enjoined and all other
tariffs filed by them effective on or
after June l. 1910, and that none of
them ought to file any new tariffs in
Nolving rate advances until the new
law should be passed, assuming that
it would be passed al the present ses-
sion Of Congress.
.tuOnt lhttS View.
after conference the railroad COM
panies announced that they would
adopt the view expressed by the Pres
ident. and thereupon the President
stated that If they did so his purpose
in bringing the suit would be accom-
plished. and, such result being accom-
plished. he saw no occasion for press
ing the suit and the same would be
withdrawn
The rate increases specified in the
injunction suit against the railroads
in the Western Association did not
cover all of the increases that had
been hled with the commission.
The railroads to-day, however. agreed
to withdraw all the increases that had
been planned for June l or after, a
number of increases have been put into
effect during the last few months.
These viii not come under the agree
5ment, For instance, the Increased