New-York tribune., 1910-06-08

AN AMERICAN BEAUTY
PEACEFUL HOUR
mont. shippers. investors and the public.
Tho ARRANGEMENT which President TAFT
and Attorney General Wickersham nave
negotiated gives to all these Interests
what We have never heretofore Iao IA ~
This Co5utry-namelE. an equaiiN Tan
plsn OF procedure. When il becomes
1 effective. which will be in the very near
future the railroads. shippers, puDllc, III
vestors and the government VIII no no
longer be continually at variance WIN
each other. and the farreachlng. oehe-
fetal and permanent erect OF lhls Can
scarcely be overesthnated
The railroad bill was sent to con-
ference to-day, the conferrees on the
part Of the House being Representatives
Mann, Wanger and Adamson. and on
the part Of the Senate Senators Elkins,
Aldrich and Foster Senator Cullom is
the ranking member Of the Committee
on. Interstate Commerce, but he waived
--f1is right TO serve on the~Conference COM
rnittee in favor Of Mr.. Aldrich. The
Rhode Island Senator viii return to
washington tomorrow, and il is prob
able that an informal meeting Of the
conferrees will be held tomorrow after
noon.
Presidents Special Message.
President Taft sent special messag ge
10 Congress telling Of the settlement he
had reached and urging that the pro-
vision of the railroad bill which gives
the Interstate Commerce Commission
the power TO investigate and suspend
new rates be made effective immedl-
stely after the signing of the act rather
than have it go into effect along with
the other clauses. which have a sixty
day limitation The message follows:
4 recent effort by large number OF
railroad companies 10 increase rates Tor
Interstate transportation Of persons and
property caused me TO direct the Attorney
General TO bring a SUIT and secure from
tie United States Court in Missouri an
Injunction restraining the operation OF such
increased rates during the pendency OF the
proceeding. This action led TO confer
ence with the representatives of the rail-
road companies enjoined and the agree
nent bv each Of them to withdraw the
proposed increases of rates effective on or
after June ! and not TO file any furthei
attempted increases until after the enact
uient into law Of the pending bill 10 amend
the interstate commerce act or the ADJOURN
meut Of the Congress. with the further IN
derstandinE that upon the enactment OF such
law each would submit TO the determine
tion of the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion the question Of the reas0nableness Of
all increases that each might thereafter
propose.
road companies viii take like action In
order. however. that each may have the
benefit OF a speedy determination Of the
question whether or not its proposed IN
creases in rates are Justifable. provision
1 should be made by Congress TO vest the
Interstate Commerce Commission with iu-
Z eFlph
In the Senate amendment 10 Section Is Of
the act 10 regulate commerce contained m
Il. r. 1856. The Interstate Commerce Com
mission is empowered Immediately upon
the fling Of a proposed increase in rates
af its own motion or upon complaint, II
enter upon an investigation ana determina-
tiOn OF the justice and reasona bleness Of
such increase, and in case II deems II
expedient 10 suspend the operation thereof
for period specified in the section "a
ens bic il to complete such investigation.
That bill, however. provides that the act
shall take effect and be in force only from
and after the expiration Of sixty days al
ter its passage.
- This provision. IL allowed TO remain in
: the bill, would enable carriers. between the
time Of enactment Of the bin and the time
Of its taking effect TO ME increases IN
rates which would become effective at the
expiration Of thirty days and remain in
effect and be collected from the publiC dur
sEE the pendencY of proceedings to review
- them. whereas if the bin he made 10 take
effect Immediately such investigation will
upon TO pay the increased rate.
! therefore recommend that this latter
provision be modified by providing that al
= least Section = OF the Senate amendment tC
q the bill. which is the section authorizing
the commission TO suspend the going into
effect of increases in rates until after due
investigation, shall take effect Immediately
upon the passage OF the act
The White House, June :. 1910.
The President did this as part Of the
agreement with the railroads by which
she promised them a square deal, and a
speedy determination as to the justice
of their new rates. He also did il TO
, prevent the filing Of any new rates in
tire sixty days between the signing OF
the act and the taking effect of the new
law.
r Ia none az his negotiations with the
railroad presidents has President Taft
suggested that there was any purpose
on the part of the administration to ap-
ply for q dissolution of the various
trunk line associations. The administra-
tion used The antitrust law in bringing
the injunction 10 stop the increased rates
simply. because there was no other ave-
nue. open TO it.
In the conference the question Of the
ability Of the Interstate Commerce Com
mission 70 dispose Of all the new rates
within the next eleven months was free
iy discussed President Taft. expressed
the belief that the present rates gave a
basis for comparison which would not
require great amount Of time. Presi-
cent McCrea suggested that as there are
certain basic rates which form the foun-
daiion for all the other thousands of
rates the disposition Of the basic ones
might not require such a great length of
time. once the basic rates are fixed the
others apply almost automatically.
BIG BILL EDWARDS AS GUIDE