Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-06-16
ROADS To WITHDRAW
INCREASE IN RATES
Peace at White House Conference
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Suit
to Be Dropped.
PENDING BILL IS TO GOVERN
Lines Must Be Governed by It's Pro-
visions in Seeking More Rev
enue from Freight.

The fight against the commodity
rate increases made by the Western
trunk line railroads is at an end. The
railroads will withdraw the tariffs al
ready enjoined and other tariffs effec-
tive after June 1, and no further in
creases will be filed until the pending
railroad bill becomes a law With this
understanding the government will
withdraw the suit begun before the
federal Circuit Court in Missouri-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 the other afternoon, par
ticipated in by President Taft, Attor-
ney General Wickersham, three rail
road presidents and another executive
official constituting a committee that
represented the twenty-fOur companies
defendant in the Missouri injunction
suit, and by two members of the in
| terstate commerce committee
With the Presidents announcement
| Of withdrawal of the governments
suit, per agreement that the railroads
withdraw their increased tariffs, At
| torney General understands plan of
| pushing prosecution of the Western
| trunk line committee under the Sher-
man act, with view to dissolving it
as combination in restraint of trade,
goes glimmering But, it is stated, the
| pending suit will not be withdrawn
until the prospective new railroad bill
becomes an accomplished fact, nor I'M
| less it be made certain that the pro-
visions giving the interstate commerce
commission powers to suspend rates
and investigate as to their reasonable
ness on it's own initiative, remain in
| the measure.
On leaving the White House after s
o'clock in the evening the railroad Of
icials directed questioners to the Pres
ident for information as to what had
taken place. The statement given out
at the White House follows:
E. P. Ripley, president of the Atchi-
son, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad
Company; Walker D. Hines, acting
chairman of the executive committee
of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe
Railroad Company; Frederic A. Delano
president of the Wabash Railroad Com
pany, and S. NJ. FELTON,, president of
| the Chicago Great Western Railroad
Company a committee representing
the twenty -four railroad companies de-
PENDANT in a suit brought by the gov
eminent in Missouri in which Judge
Dyer granted an injunction restraining
Increases in rates, met the President
and the Attorney General to-day, pur-
suant to a request sent to the Presi-
dent a few days since
The President stated to these gentle
men at the outset that the purpose of
the suit was to prevent the proposed
rate increases (Which, under the ex-
listing law, could not be investigated at
| all until after they had become effec-
tive), so as to preserve the status I'M
til the new statute could be passed and
| the commission should have the power
| to investigate rate advances as soon as
announced and before becoming. effec-
tive. 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 l, 1910, and that none of
them ought to file any new tariffs in
volving rate advances until the new
law should be passed, assuming that
1t would be passed at the present ses-
sion of Congress.
After conference the railroad COM
panies announced that they would
adopt the view expressed by the Presi-
dent and thereupon the President
stated that if they did so his purpose
in bringing the suit would be accom-
plished, and, such result being accom-
plished he saw no occasion for press
ing the suit and the same would be
! withdrawn.