Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-01-03
Result of Their Conference With
Prest. Taft Seemingly Not
To Their Liking.
THEY COULDN'T CONVINCE HIM
Sought 10 Modify His Views Regard
ing Amendment of the Inter
state Commerce Law.

| Washington. Jan. 3.-President Taft
had an extended conference today with
presidents of six of the big railroads OF
the country who had requested hear
Ing with him before the special mes
| sage, dealing with interstate commerce
| law amendments should be sent TO
| Congress-
The railroad men came to present
| their views regarding various phases
| of the proposed recommendations as
| they have CLEANED them from the
speeches Mr. Taft has made from time
to time Those attending were Atty
Gen. Wickersham. President Mellen OF
the New York. New Haven & Hart
ford railroad; President McCrea of the
Pennsylvania railroad; President
Lovett of the Union Pacific railroad
and allied Hartman lines; President
Baer of the Philadelphia & Reading
railroad; President Finley of the South
ern railway and President Brown of
the New York Central.
1t is said they sought to convince
the president that further legislation
at this time would upset conditions in
the railway and industrial world which
generally had been righting themselves
in the last two years.
The railroad men seemed rather de-
jected when they left the White Hous"
and it was inferred their mission SO "a:
as holding UP the presidents special
message was concerned was failure.
President Taft said after the confer
ence that he still expected to have his
interstate commerce message reaoy
for Congress Wednesday noon.
President Taft listened attentively to
all the presidents had to say, but did
not commit himself in any way.
The president told his visitors he
would give their statements due con-
sideration in anything he might do
after seeing the railroad interests.
Atty.Gen. Wickersham. after the
conference, declared he could say
Nothing, absolutely nothing"
The railroad presidents were almost
equally uncommunicative. President
Brown OF the New York Central said.
1--WE came to offer a protest against
the proposed amendment to the inter
state commerce law and we received =
respectful hearing :"
President Finley of the Southern
railway said the protest was general
against proposed railroad legislation
at this time. The railroad men said
they had asked for the interview and
that any statements concerning 1t
must necessarily come from the White
House.
SOME RECOMMENDATION
One of the recommendation which
1t IS believed the president will make
to Congress will prevent any inter
state railroad company from acquiring
stock in any competing railroad and
will fax the time limit within which
railroads holding such stock shall dis
pose of It.
The president, it is said, will recon-
mend that no railroad company en-
gagged in interstate commerce shall is
sue any additional stock or bonds or
other obligations except with the ap-
proyal of the commission based upon 4
finding by the commission that the
same are issued, first. for purposes au-
thorized by law and. second, for price
not less than par for stock, and not
less than reasonable market value for
bonds, such price being paid either in
cash or in property or services. and IL
in property or services, then at q fdiv
value as determined by the commits
sion
These are the amendments to which
the railroad presidents are said to have
most strenuously objected. The pres-
dent is said to believe. however. that by
these provisions. enforced with reason
In the beginning the evil which is in
volved in one competing railroad own
Ing the stock of another Will be grndu-
ally abolished; that the over-issue of
stocks and bonds and watering will he
prevented. and that the railroads Will
be kept efficient for the services for
which they were intended.