Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1910-06-07
TAFT AGAIN
IN ROLE OF
PEACEMAKER
T a Iroad Presidents Prom
ise to Stop Increases In
Freight Rates.
WILL WAIT FOR BILL
TO BECOME LAW

Special By United Prsss Wire.
Washington, June 7:-Reeom-
mending that the provision in the
railroad bill giving the Interstate
Commerce Commission power to
suspend increased railroad rates,
pending investigation, be made ef-
fecttve upon passage, President Taft
today sent a special message to con
gress outlining the situation In the
railroad rates dispute. The message
was prepared after the President
had spent more than an hour con-
ferring with Representative Mann
and Senator Crane.
| House Debate Railroad Bill,
| Representative Mann, chairman of
the Interstate Commerce Committee.
this afternoon asked the unanimous
consent in the house to take the rail-
road bill from the speakers table
and ask a conference with the sem
ate. representative Lenroot, repub-
lican, Wisconsin, an insurgent, inn
mediately objected. A burst of ap-
plause on the democratic side greet
ed his move. Mann, thereupon. for
maliy moved to disagree to the sem
ate's bill, and ask conference.
Speaker Cannon then directed that
the senate amendment be read. AZ
ter a few moments, Mann moved to
dispense with the reading. Objec-
tion was made AS soon as the read
ing of the bill had been concluded,
Mann moved to disagree to the SEN
ate amendment. Representative
I4enroot immediately moved that the
house concur in the railroad bill
adopted by the senate, a motion TAX
ing precedence over that made by
Mann
The speaker recognized Mann
motion that the house disagree to
the senate amendment. The Illinois
| member then secured unanimous
consent to close the debate on the
question In two hours. At that time
the question of conference will be
| again debated.
Railroad Contest Victory.
Railroad authorities here contend
that railroad presidents won vic
tory at the White House conference
yesterday by "diverting the question
at issue from one of the legality to
one OF reasonableness. The gov
lsefnmenf based its In ialunctioh suit on
the ground that the traffic assoeia-
tion maintained a combination In
violation Of the Sherman anti-trust
law. Under the agreement between
President Taft and the railroad, the
Interstate Commerce Commission
will investigate the proposed in
crease in relation to their reason
ableness, thus putting stop to the
investigation as to whether the roads
violated the law.
The conference with President Taft
resulted In an agreement by the west
ern. trunk lines to withdraw all In
creased rates that have gone into ef-
| feet since June i and to withhold all
other Increases until the new railroad
bill becomes a law. Under the new
law the interstate commerce commits
sion will pass on the increases before
they become effective.
Presidents Brown of the New York
Central and McCrea of the Pennsylva
mia reached Washington today with
other railroad men selected by Mr..
Brown.
The eastern trunk lines and those In
the central section of the country VIII
probably follow the example of the
western trunk lines
President Tafts statement was as
follows:
'E. p. Ripley, president of the Atchi.
son, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
company; Walker d. Hines, acting
chairman executive committee Atcht
son, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad
company; Frederick A. Delano, presi
dent of the Wabash Railroad compa.
ny. and s. NJ. FELTON,, president of the
Chicago Great Western Railroad com
pany, committee representing the
twenty-four railroad companies de,
fendant in suit brought by the gov.
ernment in Missouri in which Judg.
Dyer granted an injunction restraining
increases in rates, met the president
and the attorney general today pur
suant to a request sent to the presi
dent a few days since.
THE president stated to these gen
tlemen at the outset that the purpose
of the suit was to prevent the proposed
rate increases (Which under the exist.
ing law couldCno be Investigated at
all until after they had become eff.
fective) so as to preserve the status
until the new statute could be passed
and the committee should have the
power to Investigate rate advances as
soon as announced and before becom
ing effective. He stated further that
he thought the railroad companies
must withdraw the tariffs enjoined
and all other tariffs filed by them ef
fective on or after June 1, 1910, and
that none of them ought TO file any
new thrills involving rate advances
until the new law should be passed,
assuming that 1t would be passed at
the present session OF congress.
after conference the railroad com
panies announced that they would
adopt the view expressed by the presi
dent, and thereupon the president stat
ed that II 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"
Continued on page 80