The sun., 1910-06-07

tn a request sent 10 une ffeaiuent leN
days ago
The President stated to these gentlemen
Al the outset that tho purpose of the suit
was to prevent the proposed rate IN
Creasss which under the existing Law
Couiu nut he investigated at all until
after tkev had become ehectlyel 80 as
IN preserve the status until the new statute
could h- passed aud tho commission
should have the power 10 investigate rate
advances a. sOon a. announced aud he
fore becoming effective Ne stated further
that h thought the railroad companies
must Withdraw tRf tariffs enioinsd and
an other tariffs filed by them. effective
on or after June !. 1870. and that none
~ them ought to RE any new tariffs
Involving rate advances until the new
law should he PASSED. assuming that
II would he pas-ed az the present session
Of Congress
After conference the railroad companies
announced that they would adopt the
view expressed by the President. and
thersnpon the President stated that u
they did 40 his purpose IN bringing the
suit would he accomplished. and such
result being accomplished he saw no
occasion Tor pressing the suit and the
Name would he withdrawn
Many who aaW the Taft staten ent to-
night we're particularly impressed with
tho Presidents assertion that he had
assured tho railroad men al the outset
that the purpose Of the Federal suit was
70 prevent the proposed rate increases
and 20 preserve their status until the
new rAilroad bill could be put IN the stat
1ts books. The President II course
makes no direct reference TO the Sher-
man anti-trusi law in hs statement.
but the inference Is plain thai the real
motive IN bringing the suit under the
antitrust law was u find a ten porary
eKpedient 90 hold up the inc, eased rates
rather than to proclaim any general
policy on the part Of the Administration
In regard 90 the enforcement Of that
statute against ths railroads
Il is being recalled here however. that
Attorney General Wickersham. IN state
mSnea while the President was n the
West. pointed out thai the Governu, ent'a
action was not directed against increased
rates but was a suit based on alleged vio-
lations Of the sherman anti-trust law
some persons are inclined to believe that
Mr.. Wickersham mas been left IN an ,In.
comfortable situation. hut there - no
intimatiCn that there - now any differ
ence between Mr. Taft and his Attorney
General
The conference a. the White House
to-day began AZ . O'Clock In the after
noon and Il Was after when the three
railroad residents emerged from the
conference room. Commissioners Lane
and knspp II the Interstate Commerce
Commission we're called over 20 the White
House az about 5 - clock IN the afternoon
and rema med IN the conference room until
the fnsl statement was given out The [
two Commissioners were called IN after /
the CUnferet-- had agreed snn the course 4
~ BE- pursued The President and also .
the railroad EXECUTIVES wanted u get /
the opinions ~ the Commissioners aa ~ /
how the freight tariffs might he with /
drawn and relied The Commissioners
gave the railroad presidents assurances
that they would permit them 70 withdraw
their increased rates ~ once without
detriment 20 them that s the old rates
vii remain undisturhed
Il IL The plan Of the presidents n the
twenty-five Western railroads. and their
example 1nd0ub, edly will he followed by
ne executives Of all the other roads in the .
country 10 Withd-aE a. son as poasible
the Increases fled since May' and 60 re-
irainirom pu,ting in anv further advances
until the new railroad ball becomes Law
The Administration railroad hill mas nov
passed the senate and the House and
probably will be sent n conference To-
morrow u n the expectation NJ Pres.
dent Tar chat the bill vii he ready for his {
Signature before July
A soon a. the hill becomes 2 IaE all
of the railroads will refle the rates tOat
they have Withdrawn end alsp the rates
whose fling has been held IN abeya1ca
through Jo-days agreement Under he
terms Of the new 'a'lroai lav - it - aN-
ported - appea- on ths s,a,u.s books
the com nilsson IL eT lnOriged unOn its
OEn initiative 10 undertake - nyesti.
cation into the reasonableness of al IN.
creaees M ra,e-
Tbs commission will ~ empowered
- suspend tha rates for ign days nandtng
the Investigation into Their raEsonahIe
neeE " a. The end of thsi neriud the
commission has not arrived a. any con
ciuslon II will have he bower under the
nsW Law o. suspend the operation ~ tho
rates f'- M rddiuungl as months
Counting The thirty DAYS IN which m.
rats will have 20 le on iIls hasura tbev
could become effective under ordinary
ciFcunstanC-s tho commission will thus
have elsNen months ln hich 2 , eXamiDa
into the rea-onablrnn=s u the ta-ihg
CpdeT the tarms NJ the p@ndinE railroad
hill2all HAtes Suspended 10y The colnmis-
sion are ~ bs"0uls operative a. the end
of the sleven months " the commission
has not thsr reached conclusion In
raanTd % f1efn Thus cOffnftng n f,ttt