Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-13
COVE RNMENT A FAILURE
Mr.. Rice's Statement Before the Industrial
Commission.
His Arrangement of the Standard OIL
Company From Personal
Experience.

Mr.. George Rice of Marietta. Ohio, who
appeared before the Industrial commission
last Saturday in opposition to the Standard
Oil Company continued his testimony af-
ter The Stars report of the proceedings
was closed Near the end of his testimony
MIR. Rice declared that the government
ownership of railroads would be a solu-
ton of the question of railway discrimlna-
ton, and he believed in DISTINGUISHING the
employees of railroads, in order to avoid
trouble from an army of government en-
ployes at the polls. There We're only 500,
600 of the employees, and there were plenty
of voters in the country without them.
Shooting u Solution.
Mr. Rice said the shooting of railway
and trust officials was possible solution
of the question, and said that people had
told him he ought to shoot the man who
had ruined his business.
Replying to the statement of Mr. John d.
Archibald of the STANDARD Oh Company
that his company had received no discrimi-
natory freight rates since the interstate
commerce law went into effect Mr.. Rice
gave numerous instances of what he char-
acteriZed Determinations made in the
interest of the Standard company since
that date He made charges of such favor
itism against the Southern Pacific, the
Union Pacific. the Cincinnati Washington
and Baltimore; the Cincinnati, New Or
leans and Texas Pacific; the Louisville and
Nashville. the Iron Mountain, the Mis-
souri, Pacific and other railroads, saying
that these charges had been proven by him
before the interstate commerce commission.
Mr.. Rice said he had become satisfied of
the inefficiency of the interstate commerce
commission and had instituted nc proceed
ings before it since 1889. He said he had
not particle of confidence in the truth of
the letters from numerous railroad man.
ayers saying there was no discrimination
in of hn a and ht,al,
We're read to the commission by Mr.. Arch
bald
His Personal Experience.
Speaking of his personal experience, Mr..
Rice said that his refinery at Marietta had
been closed for the past three years as
result of these Determinations. Il have
he said, been driven from pillar to post,
from one railway line to another for TWEEN
ty years in the absolutely vain endeavor to
get equal and just freight rates with the
Standard OH Trust, so as to be able to run
my refinery at anything approaching a
profit, but this l have been utterly unable
to do
He asserted that the Standard company
was represented in the dictatorship of rail-
roads controlling one-fifth Of the railroad
mileage of the country. Mr.. Rice stated
his conclusion to be that Our government
is a failure, because of non-enforcement of
our laws against this piratical crew who
infest our inland commerce under the
secret cover of unlawful rebates and COM
missions, and thus rob the people of hun
dreds Of millions of dollars" He thought
the laws sufficient for the protection of the
people, but the difficulty was found in the
failure of the officials to enforce the law
The responsibility, he said. lay with the
Attorney General He thought the govern
ment should own the railroads, and that
the protective tariff should be removed
from articles used by the trusts. In case
Of government ownership. he would have
the railroad employees disfranchised in
order to take the roads out Of politics. He
thought that the money recently spent in
conducting a useless foreign war could
have much more profitably used in the pur-
chase of the railroads.