The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1910-06-28
THE RAILROADS
MUST Be
GOOD
Or the Interstate Commerce
Commission Win Get
Them.
THE RATE INCREASE BLOCKED
President and Congress Have
Been Busy With Very
Good Results.
THE RATE INCREASE BLOCKED
By Ernest G. walker.

NMah Speclal TO Inc AuNerUlSer.)
WASHINGTON, June 49, These are
big railroad days-big railroad days in
congress, where the prime considera-
ton just at present is the conference
report on the railroad bill, big railroad
days at the White Hodse offices whore
the President has been holding his,
toric talks with the officials of great
transportation systems ana exacting
terms. So much il ethat line has al.
ready been done during the last few
days that much Of it is being passed
over without particular emphasis dur.
ing the rush and hurry of legislative
June.
The injunction proceedings against
the Western Traffic association, affect
ing twenty.four roads between Missouri
River and Mississippi River points,
were begun with great flourish on the
last day of May and were regarded of
such Importance that for a time they
filed the public eye. But that suit
subsequent happenings which over.
Swallowed it. There is plainly to be a
big rise in freight rates nearly the
whole country over, unless -. Here
is where the important part comes in.
The "unless" has to do with the in.
terstate commerce commission and the
new railroad bill, to which profound
writers of law are putting the finish.
ing touches.
The railroads disclaim any untoward
intentions in filing their rate increases.
Under the present law such rates must
be fled thirty days before becoming
effective. The twenty.four western rail.
roads had filed many increases to be-
come effective June / but were re-
strained by what came to be termed
the midnight injunction that Attorney.
General Wickersham obtained at Han.
nibal, Missouri, from District Judge
David P. Dyer. Many other increases
in freight rates have also been filed
from different parts of the country but
the bulk of them do not take effect
till after July l, by which time it is
expected the new railroad law, giving
the interstate commerce commission
larger powers of investigation, will be
in operation.
However, it was claimed that the
railroads were hurrying to file their rate
increases and to have the same effec-
tive before the new law went into oper'
alton. That claim was the basis OF
the remarkable activities of the admin.
istration covering several recent days
First of all ii should be told how a
committee of railroad presidents, rep
resenting the twenty-four western lines
promptly came to Washington. They
were s. M. FELTON,, president of the
Chicago and Great Western; Frederick
p. Delano, president of the Wabash
and u. p. Ripley, president of the At
Gibson, Topeka and Santa Fe. The up
shot of four-hours' talk at the White
House Offices with President Taft was
an agreement to withdraw the increase
which, as a matter of fact, covered
only about one-half of one per cent
of the tonnage carried by the twenty.
four western railroads between Mis-
souri, and Mississippi River points
And in return the President and Attor.
ney-General Wickersham agreed To
withdraw the injunction proceedings
before the district court at Hannibal
Missouri. This was only preliminary
The railroad officials intend to file these
increases anew and also to file many
more increases increases covering
about fifteen per cent of their ton.
mage. But they will not do this till
after the new railroad law has gone
into operation so that the interstate
commerce commissioners may have all
the advantages of that law in taking
up those increases and determining
whether they are just and reasonab BILE
And right after the conference with
the western railroad officials there came
to Washington President w. O. Brown
of the New York Central and President
James McRae of the Pennsylvania
They had a talk of about an hour q
duration with the President, during
which il was agreed that those roads
and in fact all the eastern roads should
not put any rate increases into opera.
ton till after the new railroad law had
gone into effect. The agreement covers
practically all tho railroads Of the coun-
try. The administration in reality has
not yet withdrawn the injunction pro
ceedings in Missouri and will not do
80 till after the new law Is actually In
operation, but the agreement Stands
nevertheless.
Railroads In all sections Of the coun
try Intend 10 increase their rates fol
bauling interstate freight and It Is only
q question % q few weeks before tht
intentate Commerce commission will
be Ia tho midst Of very big task in
determiuiug whether those rates shall
stand, II may all lead 10 big battle
although there Is an impression that
the whole matter will be settled annie
ably, Tho interstate eommeree com
mlasionera, who usually adjourn about
July for the summer are preparing
70 tackle the job eneTgeiieally
The advantages which ile commits.
afaaarH as4Ifi lac. auaaF fha neis Ias. i,