The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-06-08
RAILROAD BILL
In CONFERENCE

WASHINGTON. June THE furry
over the railroad situation became
thing of the past today.
The railroad presidents went home;
President Taft went horseback riding
and the railroad bill went to confer
ence. Representatives of tho eastern
and central railroads, at Il conference
with the president this afternoon
agreed to withhold all freight in
/ cTeases until the new railroad law
becomes effective and after that to
submit the reasonablencss OF the In
| creases to the Interstate commerce
commission. The railroads interested
In the southern territory declared they
had not as yet f1led notices of increase
but that II they did they would be
ready 10 abide by the decision OF the
commission.
Taft Sends Special Message.
AT the capitol things were not so
| pleasant. President Taft sent spe-
cial message to congress telling OF
| the settlement he had reached with
tho railroads and urging that the pro
vision of the railroad bin that gives
| the interstate commerce commission
power TO investigate and suspend new
rates be made effective Immediately
upon the signing OF the act rather
than have II go into effect along with
the other clauses, which have sixty
day limit. The president did this as
a part OF the agreement with the rail-
road by which he promised them
square deal. and a speedy determine
ton as to the Justice OF their new
rates He also did IT to prevent the
fling of any new rates during the
sixty days between the signing of the
act and Its taking effect
Bitter Flight In House.
There was a bitter fight DIN the
house as to whether the senate amend
ments should be accepted as a whole
or the measure should go TO confer
ence The insurgents and Democrats
who were opposed to conference de-
clared that the presidents wishes
could be met by an agreement on the
part of the house. The regulars, who
desired to have the bill sent to CON
ference for smoothing out process
declared that the only way 10 effect
tho presidents wishes was to send
the bill to conference. They finally
won by six votes. President Taft de-
clined TO commit himself In his mes
sage OF In conference with senate and
house leaders. as to the necessity OF
a conference. He merely expressed
the wish indicated in his message and
left IL to congress TO determine the
best means of meeting that Wish.
Conference Of Presidents.
The presidents conference today
was with President McCrea Of the
PENNSYLVANIA, President Brown Of the
New York Central and President Fin
lev OF the Southern Railway. These
men represented all the trunk lines
from Chicago eastward 1t was taken
for granted before the conference be.
gan that there would be an amicablc
settlement and there was little sur
prise when after an hour and hall
the statement was Issued that there
had been complete agreement. In
none Of his negotiations with the rail-
road presidents has President TAFT
suggested that there was any purpose
! on the part of the administration to
apply for a dissolution Of the various
trunk line associations
At the same time there have not
been intimations that any OF the rail
roads would be granted Immunity
from the operations of the Sherman
antitrust law. The administration
used the antitrust law in bringing
the Injunction suit TO stop the In
creased rates simply because there
was no other avenue open To IT.
During the conference the question
of the ability of the Interstate com
morce commission to dispose of all
the new rates within the next eleven
dent Taft expressed the belief that
the present rates gave basis Tor
comparison that would not require
great amount OF time. President Nc
Crea offered the suggestion that as
certain basic rates form the founda-
ton for all the other thousands OF
rates, the disposition Of the basic ones
might not require such great length
of time. Once the basic rates arc
fixed. the others apply almost auto
matlcally.
House Almost Accepts Bill.
When the rate bill was brought up
In the house that body almost accept
! ed it, missing the contamination by
the slim margin Of six votes. The vote
came on motion by Representative
Ienroot, an "insurgent OF Wisconsin
to concur In the senate amendments
with an additional amendment TO sec
ton OF the bill. requiring Increases
in raodroal dates 10 be submitted TO
the commission In advance.
The close vote was caused by
combination Of Democrats and I'm
surgent" Republicans and FIVE 'regu-
| lar Republicans. Had the Democrats
not lost six votes on their side OF the
house. or had the insurgents" been
| able to hold their full strength instead
of losing eight. the bill would have
been accepted and the session OF con.
gress shortened many days.
| Conferees In the House
The bill finally was ordered TO con-
| ference and confere95 In the house
were named These were Representa-
tives Mann of Illinoie and Wanger of
PENNSYLVANIA (Republlcans) and
| Adamson OF Georgia (Democrat) The
senate conferees arc Elklns OF West
Virginia, Aldrlch oil Rhode Island
Republicans). and Foster OF Louisiana
| CDcmocrat) Not a little surprise was
occasioned by the loss OF six Demo
v .l..kI