Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-06
TAKES NO CHANCES
President Taft Keeping Rail-
road Bill in View.
CONFERS with SENATORS
Solicitors Regarding Additions That
May be Incorporated.
CANCELS TWO ENGAGEMENTS
Decision Expected on Measure Com
ing Week-Fifty-nine Votes
Claimed for It.
CANCELS TWO ENGAGEMENTS

President Taft will take no chances of
having the railroad bill slaughtered dur
ing his absence from Washington. There
fore he today Cancelled an important en-
sagement to go to Brooklyn. y. V, May
l.. 10 witness the launching of the battle
ship Florida, and to be with the navy
yard employees in a big banquet to be
given by them sale night of the 18th. This
action was taken by the President after a
brief talk with Senators Elkins and
Crane in which the situation of the bill
was gone over.
The President will not cancel an en-
gagement to go to Passaic, n. j., Monday
night to speak before the board of trade
and to attend the actors fair i'm New
York Monday afternoon. He will leave
here Monday morning and return to
Washington Monday night.
The significance of the cancellation of
the Brooklyn visit is in the fact that the
Senate republican leaders expect vote
on the bill during the coming week and
that the President feels he ought TO be
here if he is to get a satisfactory meas
ure. From neither the White House nor
Senate is there expression of alarm over
the fate of the bill. but the desire to
have the President in Washington is due
to the fear that the bill may finally con-
withhold his approval.
Extent of Ripping Process.
The ripping process adopted by the in
surgents and democrats has not dis
figured t bill beyond recognition by the
President, but there may be amendments
or changes the President will not accept.
If the combination in the Senate has
been able to dismember the bill up to this
time ii may be strong enough to put adj
ditions to it. The danger, from the ad-
ministratiOn point. is not in what may
be taken from the bill as what may be
added to it.
Senators Elkins and Crane were the
only visitors to see the President before
the cabinet meeting, which was held at
the usual hour, and which is understood
TO have been devoted to a careful analy
sis of the railroad bill as it stands in
Senate and House at this time. Attorney
General Witkersham. who drew the bills
introduced in both bodies of Congress-,
was early with the President and re-
mained until after other cabinet Off
GERS had gone.
No further conferences are scheduled
for this afternoon, but tomorrow the
President will receive further informa-
ton TO the. situation >ins the Senate.
The expectation that there would be a
great clatter and noise around the White
House. with statesmen rushing to and
stick. was not realized. The atmosphere
of the executive offices was unusually
quiet. with no sign of exciting or sensa-
tional trimmings.
Senator's Are Reticent.
Senator's Elkins and Crane had little to
say. The West Virginia senator was
smiling and half willing to talk, but the
Massachusetts statesman was as ner-
his big colleague as if to prevent the
latter, from saying too much. Both, how
ever. were willing to go[on record as
predicting that railroad bill satisfactory
TO the president would go through the
Senate We've got the votes" declared
the West Virginia senator, whereat Sena-
tor Crane half nodded his head and APP
peared TO regret doing SO the next min
ute.
President Taft declared today that
while he was sorry the so-called pool
ing and merger" clauses had been
dropped from the bill he did not consider
this as crippling the administration
measure in a serious degree. The pool
ing clause, which would allow railroads
10 enter into traffic agreements under the
immediate supervision of the interstate
commerce commission, it is declared, was
put into the bill to make lawful a prac-
tice that has been carried on by the
railroads for a great many years and
which, ii is declared, must continue to be
carried on if the transportation lines are
to continue in business. 1t was thought
by the administration to be far preferable
that these agreements should be under
the supervision of the government agency
than to be carried on as they are now.
Fer the Minority Stockholders.
The merger" clause President Taft al
ways has contended was put i'm the bill
solely for the benefit of minority stock
holders and was not requested by any
of the railroads. This clause would have
permitted railroads owning 81 per cent Of
the stock of another line to buy the re-
manning outstanding stock Where a rail-
road already owns a majority of stock il
controls the property in every way, and
so long as this majority of stock be held
In one block. the minority holders of the
issues of the railroads. the President
1hlnks, are left without a market
SO Mr. Taft does not feel that IN tn
ms time the bill has been so far emascu-
iated as to destroy, its usefulness as pro-
Sressive legislation. He is more concerned
WITH what the House is going to tack on
70 the bill than. what will be taken off.
III can be stated on the very best an
thorlty that unless the conferees on the
measure are able to kill some of the rad
zeal provisions which seem likely to ma &c