Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-01-04
RAILROAD PRESIDENTS
CALL UPON Mr.. TAT I
Oeprecating Idea Ct Any Legislation
at This Time, the Officials Object 10
Various Recommendations, Particu-
larry to Proposed New Court-No
Real Change, in Message viii Result
0v Associated Press.)

10y ASSotidltu IItSS-J
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Jan. 3.-Fol-
loving a conference with the presi-
dents of six Of the great railroad sye-
tens of the country, President Taft
late this afternoon announced a
change Of program in the sending OF
his message dealing with interstate
commerce and antitrust law amend
ment to congress. The message Will
be split into two parts The section
dealing with the trusts will be sent
to congress at noon Thursday.
The section dealing with the inter-
state commerce law, in which the rail
roads are indirectly Interested. will
be deferred until Friday noon. The
Presidents special message on the
conservation of natural resources IS
expected to be ready for congress
next Monday.
Ii had been the Presidents origi-
nal intention to treat together the
two subjects CT interstate commerce
end antitrust amendments. 1t xsi
said late this afternoon that the mes
sage would probably receive greater
attention IL divided into two parts,
neither of mere than 1000 words.
Result of the Gail
AS a result of the call of railroad
presidents, it was said that only a
few verbal changes will be made iii
the draft cf the message. dealing with
the interstate commerce law, and
that these would he only to the end
of clarifying the meaning of the rec
concentrations.
While deprecating the idea of any
Legislation at all at this time when,
the railroad presidents declared,
conditions in the railroad and indus
TT al worlds are righting themselves
after two years of more or less de-
possession. they did not seek to deter
the President from sending his mes
sage.
They devoted themselves TO mcre
or less specific objections to the bill
prepared by Attorney General Wicker
sham. which forms the text for the
message.
Won't Attempt to Force Bill.
The President, il is declared. Will
or any ether bill upon congress. He
will say IN his message that such a
bill has been drafted and is at the
disposal OF the appropriate commit
tees of the senate and house.
The presidents Themselves admitted
that their objections to the proposed
amendments TO the inter state CON-
merce act were general in their ap-
pIicat'on to all OF the amendments.
The President had made his ppsi-
ton clear TO ]. Pierpont Morgan in
an interview Friday morning
Mr. Morgan. in turn. arranged TOT
today's conference and advised the
railroad men &c ccnfine themselves 10
srggc sticns of changes in the amend
ments rather than &c an attempt 10
inference the President as TO his gen.
eraI ccuJse. Mr.. Taft has let IT be
known that he not only will make
recomme ndaticns for changes in the
law. but tnat he expects congress 20
adept the Suggestions at this session.
The railroad presidents at the cen
ference today were McCres, Ct the
Pennsylvania, Lovett. of the Union
Pacific and other Hartman lines:
Brown. Of the New York centrsi;
Meilcn. Of the New York. New Hssp-
shire e. Hartford: Beer. Of the Psila-
drlphia & Reading. and Finley. q the
Scsthcrn. Attorney General Wicker
cham. also was present.
Buying Competing Road
One 81 the changes which President
Taft agreed to make in his1 recon-
rlsndafious. has 70 Do with fhc Ian
gragc % the proposed amtndment
prohibiting a railroad company from
acquiring stock tn any competing
railroad IN the future CT frous holding
stock in competing RAILROAD after a
gwen date.
The Law. as President -,sft VIII
,uzgcst r.. VII provide fhst where
= raiirosd owns SIT pcr. ccnttor m,.c
Of the stock Ct another Il bay sc-
quirc The remainder. This. Il Is said,
would AFFORD a measure q Ifctcciioz