Evening star., 1912-11-19
REQUEST MADE TO TAFT
Massachusetts, and Rhode Island Of
ficials See President.
MIR. HILLES BACK IN THE CITY
Expected to Resume His Duties at
the White House Within
Few Days.


Wickersham were asked today by officials
of Massachusetts and Rhode Island TO
promptly start an investigation to deter
mine:
| First. Whether the New Haven railroad
owning or controlling practically all tho
railroad lines of the New England states,
entered into open and secret agreements
with the Grand Trunk road of Canada TO
cease the construction of competing lines
in that region and to stop all warfare be-
| tween the two systems.
Second. Whether J. F. Morgan. the
| man who pulls the strings back of the
| New Haven road. really put pressure on
| financial interests abroad to prevent the
| Grand Trunk getting money to carry out
| its proposed program of railroad con-
struction in the New England states
The first question may be handled by
the Department of Justice, while the Sec
ond question will give the PuJo commit
| tee Of the House an excuse to carry on
| it's investigations into the money trust, it
was said today.
Charges in the Case.
| According to intimations exciting all
| New England at this time, the New
Haven road and the Grand Trunk were
| some time ago deadly enemies. The New
| Haven road controlled so much of the
mileage in that section it never once con-
| templated real competition after it got
hod of the Boston and Maine. But the
| Grand Trunk peop.e, led by +. esident
| Hays who was drowned i'm the Titanic
disaster. began to encroach on the New
! Haven and spent fully $2.J00,0O0 in prof.
| ects for extensions OF its lines that
| would carry it's system right into the
| heart of the New Haven territory.
i Suddenly, few months ago, announce
| ment was made that the Grand Trunk.
| because of financial conditions, was CONF
PEELED to temporarily suspend its con-
| struction work, and did not know when 1t
would be able to resume After this
/ leaked out it became known that certain
4 traffic and mileage agreements had been
entered into between the two roads, aud
charges are made that secret agreements
also exist, which give to the New Haven
complete monopoly and stop the drand
Trunk from further extensions.
i Mention J. p. Morgan.
But with it all Is the declaration that
J. p Morgan, the real power behind tho
New Haven. really compelled the agree
ments and forced the Grand Trunk to the
agreements by shutting off its finances
abroad, where the road had heretofors
been strong.
| The outcome of the charges We're laid be-
fore President Taft and Attorney General
Wickersham today by William {. Bliss,
Samuel E. Hudson and Robert +. Rod
man Of the railroad commission of Rhode
Island, and Frederick Macleod and
George Bishop of the massachusetts, COM
mission. who were accompanied py onlel r
| Engineer Ewel of Rhode Island. he
President turned his visitors over to At
torney General Wickersham, VINO VIII u.s.
ten to the whole story this afternoon
and determine what, IL anything. his de-
partment will do The New Englanders
are confident the government will be apie
| to proceed against the alleged combina-
| ton.
Cabinet Officers to Remain.
Recent rumors of the probable early re.
firement of several cabinet officials of the
| Taft administration were met today by
| denials on the part of those mentioned
and the information that so far as is
known. all the cabinet advisers or the
President will remain with him until
| March 1.
/ Two cabinet officers mentioned in tito
rumors as intending to go into priNata
| business without delay We're POSTMASTER
| General Hitchcock and Secretary wilson.
| Both stated today that the stories Wet.
| unfo,nlded MI Hitchcock has had halr
a dozen splendid business offers, IN tho
last wear and has declined all OF them.
intending to stick by the President ann
| carry into effect as far possible. GER
| tain important work he has mapped ouu
| for his department.
| Several Of the offers 10 MI iillchcocS
| hold good at his pleasure, IT is under
| stood and are available when Mr.. Hitch-
| cock desires to give them serious con-
| sideration.
Discuss Department Matters.
| At the regular meeting of the cabineo
today many departmental matters were
| considered The President was in tha
!, executive offices early, having returned
from New Haven last night. lie talked
with number of visitors and was late
in getting into the cabinet room with his
advisers.
| The President has under consideration
| a number of important subjects laid be-
| fore him by cabinet officers for determ-
ma tion One Of these is the answer no
will make to the request of Samuel Tn
termeyer of the Pujo committee OF tho
| House as to securing facts for the money
trust investigation.
Another is as to the construction To be
nlaced on the law passed by the last
Congress admitting shipbuilding material.
machinery and equipment to the United
States free of duty. Secretary MacVeagl
has submitted the proposition to the
President. The Treasury has been wres-
fling with the question some time, and
Assistant Secretary Curtis, has had a
number of hearings, at which shipbuiid-
ers and other interests were present. Most
of the shipbui ding companies hold that
Congress did not intend to admit machin-
ery free of duty, but simply the ma
terials.
Mr.. Hilles in the City.
Charles d. Hilles, who has about WOUND
m his work as chairman OF the repub-
ucan national committee. returned to
wa shineton last night with President
Taft and within q few days is to return
10 his duties as secretary to the Presi-
dent. Mr. Hilles has asked Carmi Thomp-
son to remain as secretary few days
longer before qualifying as treasurer of
the United States. I'm place OF Lee Me-
CIuug, resigned Mr.. Thompson has filed
his bond, which has been approved by
Secretary MacVeagh. and is ready to take
charge at the Treasury soon as Mr..
Hilles relieves him at the White House.
President Taft today received William
J. Cunningham, imperial potentate of the
Mystic Shrine, and a number of Balti-
more and Norfolk Shriners. who last
night attended the session Of the AlmaS
Temple in this city.