The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-05-05
Guest of Traffic Club, Presi-
dent Makes Speech in Which
He Refers to Legislation in
Congress.
PELTED WITH BOUQUETS
BY STREET THR0NGS
Long and Short Haul Clause
Modification Touched Upon
Lightly by the Nations Chief
Executive.
REVIEWS SOME MEASURES

CT. LOUIS, May president
- Taft's five days trip to the mid
die west ended here today, and he left
late toright for Washington. where
he is scheduled to arrive early Fri
day morning.
1t remained for st. Louis to give
Mr.. Taft the heartiest demonstration
Of his present journey.
The city was gaiIy decorated. and
there were cheering thrOngs wherever
the President went Several times his
motor car was stopped to receive bOu-
quets- These Mr.. Taft later sent 10 ST.
Luke'S hospital and the Home for In
curables.
The President tonight, as the guest
OF the Traffic club of ST. Louis. re
legislation pending at Washington, but
said he was not sufficiently Informed
OF the situation 10 discuss IL in detail.
Mr.. Taft said while he was federal
Judge of the Sixth circuit, from 1898
TO 1909, it fell 10 his lot TO appoint re-
ceivers for nearly ali the railroads in
the circuit He found at that time
what he said great many people seem
blissfully ignorant OF. that il takes "a
whole lot of money to run a railroad"
But l understand all the railroads
are on good basis now" said he. and
nope they will continue So Railroads
are very much like every other bust
ness If the receipts DO not come W
10 expenditures, the red balance grows
larger and larger until there is nothing
before you but a receivership. 1 sin
cerely trust we will never experience
again with respect 10 railroads or other
business what we had to go through
from 1893 to 1900
In those days the railroads were not
run entirely according TO the law. and
a judge had difficulty even in keeping
his receivers out of rebates. But rail-
roads and shippers can now look each
other in the face with the knowledge
they are not engaged in a violation OF
the law
THE problem. gentlemen. of fixing
railroad rates, is most difficult one,
and the man who says he knows how
to do IL is the only one in the cOmmu-
nifty who thinks so.
There is now pending at Washing
ton an interstate commerce bill ] can
not comment on it because of cOndi-
tiOnS l do not know But / do know
gress, it was drawn to conform to the
promises of the Republican platform
and bring the railroads more under the
control of the interstate commerce
commission on the one hand and to give
the railroads a little more freedom of
action under the supervision of the in
terstate commerce commission, on the
There has been introduced into the
House a modification of the long and
short haul clause. Just what it is.
do not know. Some people, however.
seem to favor mileage basis for
freight rates. 1 would view the adOl.-
ton Of such a principle with a good
deal of anxiety.
But, as I have said, do not feel
haze studied the question sufficiently
to express views on this particular re-
vision. but 1 am afraid those gentle
men who are most emphatic in thinking
that is the easiest solution of the ques-
ton: these gentlemen who come from
the interior. viii find themselves in
the same position as that son OF Erin
who sat the limb and sawed II off
Il doubt not. however, that full con-
sideratiOn Will be given TO such sec
ton before it finally shall be made into
law.
4 do not feel I can go further, be-
Continued ON Page SIX