Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-06-06
READY TO
CONFER WITH R. R.
PRESIDENTS TODAY
Attorney-Genera and Executive
Reviewing Situation Before
Talk This Afternoon.

WASHINGTON. June 6.-President
Taft il pack in the White House from
his four-day trip in the middle West
and has completed arrangements for his
conference with railroad presidents at
8 o'clock this afternoon. The President
and members of the White House STAFF
do not know exactly what railroad men
will participate in the conference.
The meeting was arranged at h re-
quest OF E p. Ripley. president of the
Atchison. Topeka and Santa Fe. who
represented that the railroads involved
In the governments dissolution and in
junction suit against the western trunk
line committee. desired to state their
side of the case to the President.
The railroad presidents will have their
inning at the White House and Attor-
ney-GeneraI Wickersham will be pres
ept also at that conference. Mr.. Taft's
friends say that the President will call
upon the railroad men to answer the
evidence which shippers OF the West
laid before the department Of Justice.
Mr.. wickersham has said that this evil
dence tended to show that the railroad
presidents formally met and voted upon
increases In rates n Instructed the
western trunk line committees agent
to fle their with the Interstate Com
merce Commission. Mr.. Taft's friends
say thai If the President is convinced
that the facts are az alleged, II Is ex-
tremely doubtful II h railroad men
will ret him to recede from the posi-
ton that the administration has
The railroad men, On the other hand.
will direct President Taft's attention to
the attitude which the administration
has assumed right along with regard to
rate making through trunk line COM
mittees and associations. They will, It
is said, point put that it Is absolutely
necessary for q certain amount of CO.
operation between railroads in h mat
ter of establishing freight rates and
that both the Taft and the Roosevelt
administrations have publicly acknowl-
edged this fact. The railroad men I'M
doubtedly will coll the Presidents at
tention to his own u~tterances on this
subject, and to his recent recommends
lions that traffic agreements be legal
lied.
President e. P. Ripley, of the Atchi-
son. Topeka and Santa Fe; President
F. A. Delano, of the Wabash: President
s. M. FELTON,. OF h Chicago Great
Western. and President Marvin Hugh
lit. of the Chicago and Northwestern,
arrived today from Chicago to attend
the conference.
Quite a number of Senators n Rep
resentatives in Congress saw the Presi-
dent today, and It is understood that
of them talked with him concern
the railroad situation. Senator De-
pew. of New York. was one OF the few
who consented to give his Views.
II do not sympathize with the rail-
in this instance" he said. They
should have submitted the proposed In
crease in rates to the Interstate Com
merce Commission and sought a hear
ing before that body. They h Q could
have presented their case to the public
and the chances are that the rates
would have been approved, in part
way, for there are very good rea-
sons why the railroads should increase
rates.
1.-THE hixher wages, the increased
cost of materials and other considera-
tions are making 1t necessary for the
railroads to revise their tariffs. They
went about this In the wrong way and
at the wrong time. 1 think the matter
will be adjusted, however. and l hope
the railroads will see their way clear
to 70 back and follow the course l have
suggested"
In administration circles today 1t
seemed to be the consensus of opinion
that the conference this afternoon
would not result in n change in the
administration policy.