The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-09-16
Next Conference to Be
Held Here in De-
cember, 1912.
Auburn SOONER
L II A N
Program at Spring Lake Cur
tailed One Day by Reason of
Inability of Many Speakers
to Be Present, and State
Chiefs Leave for
Home.

Spring Lake. n. j., September 15.--
The third annual Governors Conference
came to an unexpected close here late
to-day. after the conferees had waited
two hours to hear Governor Dix, OF
New York, who was delayed in reach
ing Spring Lake. Although the pro-
gram was TO have extended through
tomorrow. illness and inability to at
tend on the part OF several scheduled
speakers led to the discovery to-day
that there would be no matters claim
ing the attention of the gathering. and
tho idea of holding a session was aban-
doned.
Fifteen Governors who met at the
afternoon session to-day held what
they termed an experience meeting.
Governor Shafroth. of Colorado, dis-
cussed the State prison law and other
reforms in his State. and Governor
Tener. of Pennsylvania, likewise told
of reform in his State.
The Governors Union.
This" he said. in conclusion, de
serves a better name. perhaps. than the
Governors Conference. This Is the
ancient and ~amalgamated order OF
Governors. the Governors union"
Governors Stubs, of Kansas; Yes
Sey, of South Dakota, and ONeal, Of
Alabama, made addresses outlining re-
forms recently adopted by their re-
spective States. Governor Dix fol-
lowed the first Of these. delivering an
address on State Comfy in Taxation.
Governor Augustus e. Wilson. OF
Kentucky. thanked the committee of
arrangements for its work. and the
conference adjourned TO meet at Rich
mond in December, 1919.
Nineteen of the t~wenty-nIne Cover
nors who the meeting left
during the day and evening for home.
Those remaining overnight at Spring
Lake were Governors o'Neal, McGov-
ern, Carey, Kswley, sprey. Gilchrist.
vessey. Cruce and Stubbs. All. with
the exception OF Governor McGovern,
plan to leave by noon tomorrow.
contrary to general expectation, the
conference voted down in executive
session a motion to appoint William
y. Jordan. who has served as secre-
tary three years. permanent secretary.
instead 1t was decided to leave the So
iectlon OF a secretary to the executive
committee.
Governor Gilchrist. of Florida. an
hounced tonight hat the executive
committee had agreed to place fore
most on next years program a d,s.
cussion on the ~advisability OF having
q union divorce law.
NO man you know would run away
from the presidency of the United
states said Governor Harmon, of Ohio.
THIS afternoon. when asked IL he was
a candidate for tn Democratic pres-
idential nomination.
when asked for a more definite an
swer, Governor Harmon replied that
ne oio not consider 1t in keeping with
The proprieties of the Governors con.
SeEenCe 10 dT. q IN 4.eo-
affairs. He had not attended the ~
ierence' he said, as a candidate for anv
once. but to confer with his c~ollea pues
ana hought that 1t would be bad taste
TO refer TO political matters unon bis
departure. The Governor left The az.
ternoon for Knoxville. Tenn. where
ne VIII address the Appalachian CON
vention. eo"
Harmon Explains.
oeIore departing for Knoxville Gov
Harmon prepared a statement
concerning the newly appointed staIas,
rights committee. The statemsn,
reads:
IN view of an apparent misunder-
stanoinS by some of the action Of III.
conference yesterday 1T is deemed adj
ViAiDie that u statement should be
'hade US to its exact nature and pur-
pose. p"t
a 'he decision al the United Statas
circuit Court in what are known &c
the minnesota rate cases, to the eff
rect that the State of Minnesota had
no authority to regulate railroad
rates within its own borders because
interstate was thereby ,r-
fected, and as other cases involvin1
the same question in other States
would soon come before the Supreme
Court OF the United States for dc.
cision. the conference considered II
advisable that a committee should he
appointed to see that the States sid.
OF this controversy IS properly pre-
pared and presented to the Supreme
Court.
"rhe committee expects to deal onlv
with the legal side OF this matter.
and the action taken Yesterday was
one of only ordinary p~recautio
Every state in the Union is equally
and vitally Interested in the decision
of this question. as the right of each
State TO regulate Its own internal
mmerce would be destroyed by an
adverse decision. We expect to ascer-
tain as to what cases will first be con-
sidered by the Supreme Court in which
this question will be decided, and if
II is deemed advisable we will ask
leave to present to the court a brief
argument in support OF the right OF
the States to regulate commerce
wholly within their borders"