The sun., 1910-06-07

I they had made in increasing their rate,
differed from the loint trafic agreement
/ held by the supreme Court 20 he IN viola
ton Of the sherman antitrust law m
the well known joint tratiiC case Of isas
The railroad presidents argued that that
joint trafic agreement had put certain
restraint upon each road and that ths
roads were not free TO Increase or de.
crease their rates a. they saw ht The
restraint consisted of a fine After The
decision IN that case the railroad com.
panies adopted a different form ~ ira Nc
agreement IN which there IL NJ restraint
upon any member and Il was he ,conten.
tioD Of tn rlilrold men al the con
fercnCss thst thega agreements repre-.
seated merely tn individual opinions oi
the railroads aud were NOT il violation
~ tie sherman antitrust law
The railrO1d presidents denied absO-
lutelv als the ztat9msdts that we're made
hy shippers before the Attorney General
that there had heen anything ~ecr~tiys
about the recent raise IN rates The
shippers charged thrt tie rrilrpsds had
held hack for more thsr i''s-n dsys the
notices ~ the advances The shippers
added that u had Tor wears lssen the prac.
tlce II che railroads 10 -rnd DotiCes Of ihese
advances tD them a. -onn a. they had
been decided upon. hut in this case tha
shippers commended thsi lh.v not ONLY
had been deprived or the customary
notices but had heen halked ia their
efforts 10 get intOrml ton Ia regard t. M"
supposed increases
The railroad presidents declared thai
these charges were ah-Oluielv withuui
foundation thai they had sem Oui 81
letters 10 shippers n, rfvinE them of he
increases and ,haJ There had been no eior,
Un their part tp pu, no advances through
under q cloak oi secrecy. This charge II
secrecy was me " the strong points upon
which the A. A,ITney General decided that
the sherman auti-irus, iaw had heen vto-
lated. The railroad presidents con
tended 'hl. 4 hey had any oppOri unity
10 he heard uDon the appnca;loR for the
lnlunCt ION they would have proven to
the satIsiacIon of the cour, that ,hey
had not held Information hack m regard
To he IN creases hut earned the advances
through IN the same form N which they
had done % Tor years
Railroad men are inclined "a attribute
a good many ot the statemeuts against
them 10 nisapprsh susiOn on the part Of
shippers. The railroad men believe too
tf1t this missppreh@nsion can be traced
IN a large measure 20 professional traffic
Managers These trafiic Managers have
found their business dwindhng since re-
hstss went out Of vogue and are. N many
railroad men maintain. trying 10 stir M
dis tissECti1n among to shippers IN
much the sane manner as walking dele
gates ioment t-ouhl, among labor unions
: No nev ut he agreemsn, on he pert
Of he railroads ID suspend rs.e~ vas
received wi,h favor by he Insurgents
ir Congress r1i the general impression
among them Was thai President Taft
y ould be commended IN r"cepting This
conc esatOn nom the railroads and with
holding prosecution under ne sherman
arti-,r rust lew on ,his doubtful gues i0n
The insurgents wee inclined - believe
that the imneds, . relief IN the rates
was Whist he people of the middle West
" ere nc - cpncerned about and now tha,
hey have got ma they will, IN the in
surgent leaders say generally commend
The Presidents course and give him their
support In fact Il was the opinion among
leading insurgents tha, the action by the
presiden; ,O-d1y would 60 far toward
him IN the West and als1
would b. " great help IN forwarding
he legislative programme in Congress.
N vas learned lat4 tonight that Presi- b
tent Brown II tho New York Central and
The heads ~ other Eastern trunk lines
are already headed for Washington
One ~ the questions that will h. .
.hreshed out a. tomorrow conference
will he whether the recent advances in
rates on the lines out Of
New lOrk city will he included In the ]
-at~s 20 bs Withdrawn Ivy the railroads
II u likely however that the railroads
vii object strongly 20 having these rates
included IN the withdrawal and will
r.ataf taruUa eka awWnaUrvanN nth tka nay-