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Show MERGER SUII I? BE COMPROMISED Railroad President Confers With President Taft Seeking Seek-ing a Settlement. GOVERNMENT WILL INSIST THAT ROADS OBEY THE LAW Meanwhile the Case Will Be Pushed as Usual, Unless Surrender Is Complete. WASHINGTON. Jan. 10 Negotiations have begun looking to a settlement "out of court' of the government's suit for the dissolution of the merger of tho so-called so-called Harrlman lines, brought under the provisions of the Sherman anti-trust law. Rumors of such negotiations have been current for some lime, nnd today they took concrete form at a conference at the White house, granted by President Taft at the solicitation of the railroad ofllclala. It can be stated authoritatively that no decision of any sort was reached. It was said that today's conference was the first of a series of mcotlngs to be held for the purpose of determining upon what ground, if any, the representatives of the Harrlman lines and the government can meet for an adjustment of the situation. "No Decision Intimate President Taft has given no intimation as to his attitude, and his final decision, It Is stated, will dencud largely, upon the proposition tho railroads have to make looking toward a compliance with the anti-trust law. The case will not be dropped. It Is said, except upon such terms ns will look lo a correction of evils complained of in the government suit, or unless tho government gov-ernment can be shown to be completely In error. Today's confcrcnco was attended by Judge Robert S. Lovctt, president of the Union Pacific and allied Harrlman lines; Attorney General "Wlekcrsham. Frank B. Kellogg." "trust buster" and special attorney at-torney of the United States In the case against the railroads: former Senator John C. Spooner and Maxwell Evarts of New York, attorneys for tho Harrlman lines. None of the members of tho railroad rail-road party would discuss the matter in any way. ... , Attorney General Wlekcrsham has taken no definite position In the matter. He went Into the conference today open-minded, open-minded, for up to tills time he has not been called upon to deal with the suit. No time was llxcd for a resumption of tlic conference, but it probably will be within a few days. |