The San Francisco call., 1910-06-07
TAFT REACHES
AN AGREEMENT
WITHCARRIERS
Railroad Presidents Agree to
Withdraw Rates and Suit
Is Dropped
All Sides TO Conference Willing
to Abide by Unpassed Law
Now Pending

committee. Atchison. Topeka and
Santa Fe railroad company; Fred
erick A. Delano. president of the
Wabash railroad company. and s.
n. FELTON,. president Of the Chicago
Great western company. a COM
mittee representing the "a COM
panies defendant in a suit brought
by the government IN Missouri, in
which Judge Dyer granted an in.
junction restraining increases in
rates, met the president and the
attorney general todav. pursuant to
a request sent 10 the president a
few days ago.
The president stated to these
gentlemen at the outset that the
purpose of the suit was to prevent
the proposed rate increases (Which
under the existing law could not be
investigated a. all until after they
had become efective) so as to pre-
servo the status until the new
statute could be passed and the
commission could have the power
TO Investigate rate advances as
soon as announced and before be-
coming effective.
He stated further that he thought
the railroad companies must with
draw the tariffs en5oined and all
other tariffs filed by them. effective
on or after June I, 1910. and that
none Of them ought to file any new
tariffs involving rate advances until
the new law should be passed, as
sunling that il would be passed at .
the present session OF congress.
After conference the railroad
companies announced that they
would adopt the view expressed by
the president, and thereon the
president stated that If they did so
his purpose in bringing the suit
would be accomplished. and. such
result being accomplished, he saw
no occasion for pressing the suit
and the same would be withdrawn.
Increases Withdrawn
The rate increases specified in tn,
suit against the railroad
I'm the Western association did no
cover all the increases fled with tn,
commission. The railroads today, how
ever, agreed to withdraw all the in
creases planned for June 1 or after.
A number or increases put into effec
during the last few months will no
come under the agreement. For in
stance. the increased rates on livestock
effective last March, will not be affect
ed The important increases, however
and the ones of which the shipper
chiefly complained. were those sched
uled for June / and after.
The railroad presidents in confer
ence with Taft made long argument
They claimed they had been misrepre
sented as TO there having been any
thing clandestine about their agree
ing on or fling the new rates. The,
claimed they had sent written notices
TO the shippers and even had the re
ceipts OF certain Of the shippers VIII,
bad denied ever having received sucl
notices. Finally, they declared that TIL
increased rates had been filed in tn
same manner as the interstate com
merce commission had approved for tn
last 10 years.
The presidents told President Taf
incidentally that they had been ad
Nised by counsel that the government
suits could not be sustained. The pres
ident replied that he was willing [
chance that and that he thought tn
best way out for the railroads was 70
them TO withdraw their increases. ]
was then that the settlement wa
reached