Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1910-06-10
PRESIDENT TAFT
WINS RATE FIGHT
RAILWAYS AGREE TO WITHDRAW
INCREASES UNTIL NEW LAW
GOES INTO EFFECT.
CONFERENCE AT WHITE HOUSE,
Injunction to Be Withdrawn in Nature
of Compromise Between Gov
eminent and Roads.

President Taft has won his fight against
the commodity rate increases made by
the western trunk line railroads. The
railroads will withdraw the tariffs al
ready enjoined and other tariffs effective
| after June l, and no further increases
will be filed until the pending railroad
| bill becomes a law.
With this understanding the govern
ment Will withdraw the suit begun before
the federal circuit court in Missourl-not,
however, until after the new rail bill is
signed
These were the results of a more than
three hours conference at the white
house Monday afternoon, participated IN
by President Taft, Attorney General
Wlckersham, three railroad presidents
and another executive official cOnSutut-
ing committee that represented the
tWenty-four companies defendant in the
Missouri injunction suit, and by two
members of the Interstate commerce
committee.
President W. c. Brown of the New
York Central and President McCrea of
the Pennsylvania Railroad company will
meet President Taft and it is probable
that they, speaking for the eastern lines,
will agree to withdraw the increased tar
ifs scheduled for effect July l, in &C
cordance with the understanding as to
the pending railroad bill arrived at with
LuS NSoICIu IOduS. OluGI cdSIcIu IdII-
road officials may join them. The APP
pointment was made over the long dis
lance telephone Monday evening A
conference also is expected with repre-
sentatives of the roads in Central Traf-
fc association territory.
Statement Is Given Out.
On leaving the white house after
o'clock the railroad officials directed cues
| TONERS to the President for information
as to what had taken place. The state
ment given out at the white house fol
lows:
E. p Ripley, president of the Atchison.
Topeka and Santa Fee Railroad company;
Walker d. Hines, acting chairman of the
| executive committee of the Atchison, Tope-
ka and Santa Fe Railroad company Fred
eric A. Delano, president of the Wabash
Railroad company, and s. M. FELTON,, presi-
dent of the Chicago Great Western Rail-
road company, committee representing
the twenty four railroad companies defend
ant in suit brought by the government in
Missouri in which Judge Dyer granted an
met the President and the Attorney Gen
eral today, pursuant to request sent to
the President a few days since.
The President stated to these gentlemen
at the outset that the purpose of the suit
was to prevent the proposed rate Increase
(Which, under the existing law, could not
be investigated at all until after they had
become effectIve) so as to preserve the
status until the new statute could be passed
announced and before becoming effective.
He stated further that he thought the rail
road companies must withdraw the tariffs
enjoined and all other tariffs filed by them
effective on after June 1, 1910. and that
none of them ought to file any new tariffs
involving rate advances until the new law
should be passed. assuming that it would
be passed at the present session Of Con
gresS.
| After conference the railroad companies
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 ac-
compished, and, such result being accom-
plished, he saw no occasion for pressing the
suit and the same would be wlthdraWn.
Hard Blows Delivered.
President Taft was smiling, but appar-
emily somewhat fustered, after the long
conference. 1t was evident that there
had been a pretty energetic exchange of
opinion and argument before a conclu-
sion was reached; that there probably
had been considerable sharp criticism
from the railroad side as to the admins
trations attitude toward traffic agree
ments, which, it has been commended,
have been virtually sanctioned for ten
wears by the interstate commerce com
mission, and that the President, on his
side had insisted on having a very full
explanation of the rate situation, just
what the increases involved, the methods
of making them ana the reasons IOf plac-
ing increases where it was proposed to
place them.
been caused by the governments original
plan of action.
The conference began at 3 o'clock, and
it was nearly before Chairman Knapp
and Mr.. Lane of the interstate commerce
commission were sent for. They came to
the white house promptly, and the talk
took a turn which had decidedly inter
esting bearing, it is understood, upon the
legislation now at the conference stage
in Congress. It is understood that the
railroads promised their cooperation, or
rather promised not to embarrass in any
way the operations of the new law in
all that it seeks to effect in the matter
of added powers of investigation and
Judging Of the fairness Of rates. Further
more, it is deduced from oral statements
at the white house, supplementary to the
written statement there given out, that
the Injunction suit already instituted, and
the possibility of other suits, still may
be held over the heads of the railroads
to prevent any subtle influences from
eliminating provisions very pertinent to
the present situation from the railroad
bill before Congress prior to its actually
becoming a. law.
The President let it be known that it
is not his purpose to have the pending
suit formally withdrawn until he is sat
isfied that all he wants to accomplish is
insured through the final passage of the
railroad measure.