Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-07
TAFT MAKES PACT
WITH trunk LINES

| Wilt InUNk LIMO
Continued From First Pase.)
ton authorizing the commission to sus-
pend the going into effect Of increases IN
rates until after due investigation. shall
take effect Immediately upon the passage
Of the act WIN. II. TAFT.
THE White House, June l. 1910.'
Eastern Roads to Agree.
There was another conference at the
White House this morning, at which
the final details of the arrangements
between the government and the trunk
lines were discussed. S. NJ. FELTON,.
president Of the Chicago Great West
ern, and F. A. Delano. president Of the
Wabash who participated in the con-
ference yesterday afternoon. spent half
an hour with President Taft prior to
the cabinet meeting this morning.
w. &. Brown president OF the New
York Central. and j. McCrea. president
Of the Pennsylvania. will have con-
ference with President Taft and Attor-
ney General Wickersham late this att
will ratify, On behalf OF the eastern
and central trunk lines, the agreement
reached yesterday with the Western
Trunk Line Association.
In this way all of the proposed increases
in rates which the railroads have in view
will be held UP until the law gives the in
terstate commerce commission the r1Sht
to investigate all new rates and TO suS-
pend such increases as 1t deems unjust:
Presidents FELTON, and Delano left Wash
where they will report to the western
trunk line committee the results of their
negotiations with President TAFT They
said they thought there would be little
difficulty after that in carrying out the
details of the withdrawal of the new
rates.
The physical work attached to this is
said to be great for the new rates filed
covered thousands of items. The call
Of Messrs. FELTON, and Delano at the
bye to the President, and incidentally to
discuss some of the details OF the pro-
cedure to be followed before the inter"
state commerce commission.
Agreement Pleases Perkins.
George ". Perkins of the firm Of J. p.
Morgan E. Co., who was in Washington
today, gave out the following statement
regarding the railroad situation:
THE railroad question affects man.
ayers and owners of railroads. the man.
ayers of the government, shippers. in
vestors and the public. The arrange
ment which President Taft and Attorney
General Wickersham have negotiated
gives to all these interests what we have
never heretofore had in this country,
namely. an equally fair plan Of procedure;
When it becomes effective, which VIII
be in the very near future, the railroads,
shippers. public. investors and the gov
eminent will no longer be continually
at variance with each other, and the far-
reaching. beneficial and permanent erect
of this can scarcely be overestimated.
members Of his cabinet to sit with him
in yesterdays conference, which began
at 3 o'clock pm. Attorney General
Wickersham had all along been in
Guided. There was some surprise. now
ever. when the President sent for Sec
rotary Of State Knox and Secretary
OF Commerce and Labor Nagel. Later
Chairman Knapp and Mr.. Lane OF the
interstate commerce commission were
summoned. It was 1908 pm. when the
conference was adjourned.
White House Statement.
Then the following statement was
prepared and given out:
"E. r. Ripley, president of the Atch-
ison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad Com
pany; Walker D. Hines. acting chairman
executive committee, Atchison, Topeka
and Santa Fe Railroad Company: Fred
eric A. Delano. president Of the Wabash
Railroad Company, and S. NJ. FELTON,,
president OF the Chicago Great Western
Railroad Company, committee repre-
senting the twenty -four railroad compa-
government in Missouri, in which Judge
Dyer granted an injunction restraining
increases IN rates, met the President and
the Attorney General today. pursuant to
q request sent TO the President few
day since.
THE President stated to these gentle
men at the outset that the purpose of the
suit was to prevent the proposed rate in
creases (Which under the existing law
could not be investigated at all until
after they had become effectively so as to
reserve the status until the new statute
could be passed and the commission
should have the power to Investigate
rate advances IS soon as announced and
before becoming effective.
He stated further that he thought the
railroad companies must withdraw the
tariffs enjoined and all other tariffs filed
by them effective on or after June !,
any new tariffs involving rate advances
until the new law should be passed, as
Stunning that it 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 President. and
thereupon 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 he withdra wn.'
To Withdraw All Rates.
The rate increases specified in the in
junction suit against the railroads in the
western association did not cover all Of
the increases that had been filed with
the commission. The railroads, how
ever, agree TO withdraw all the increases
that had been planned for June I or
after. There have been a number Of
increases put into effect during the last
few months. These will not come under
the agreement.
For instance. the increased rates on
live stock, effective last March, will not
be affected. The important increases,
however. and the ones of which the ship
pers chiefly complained. we're those sched-
uled for June l and after.
The railroad presidents In conference
with Mr. Taft put up lengthy argument.
They claimed they had been misrepresent-
ed n there having been aDyfhinY