Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1905-02-24

| has reached a CfltlCdl point. Inc sAdte
department at Washington FEB. 10,
received a cable message from Minis
ter Bowen, date at Caracas, stating
that the supreme court had confirmed
it's former decree sequestrating the
property In Venezuela of the Ameri-
can asphalt company. 1t is now In
cumbent upon the government here to
make the next move. A dispatch from
Caracas says that IL was under the
pressure of President Castro that the
court has ordered the sequestration OF
the landed property Of the American
asphalt company.
A loss of about sl,5000O0 was
caused by fire which destroyed piers
and of the Hoosac tunnel docks
at Charlestown with valuable mer-
chandise, and badly damaged the
steamer, Philadelphia, early Tues
day, Feb. 81. The direction Of the
wind saved the adjoining piers, a
grain elevator, and whole section of
the city from a terrible conflagration |
The flames were brought under con-
troll about daylight. Three members |
of the crew of the Philadelphia were |
injured, also two fremen. All were
taken to the Relief hospital. Steward /
John +. Fellows of the steamer, is in |
a dangerous condition. The others
will recover. Several sailors were
forced to jump into the icy water ana
suffered greatly
President Roosevelt mas directed
Commissioner James r. Garfield of
the bureau of corporations to make
at once a thorough investigation Of
the Standard oil company, with ref
arence not alone to the Kansas fields.
put to its workings throughout the /
The investigation will cover .
he entire scope outlined in the /
Campbell resolution which passed the !
house at Washington Feb Is, without {
| dissenting vote. A barge force Of |
Investigators, inspectors and ac-
will be put into the field,
md every atom of available informa-
ion as to the methods of the Stand
so immediate results can be expect
d, The investigation of the beef r
rust, which began last April and
oncluded in December. has not yet
cen mentioned officially by Commits e
Toner Garfield. except to say that he d
! preparing his report. 1t is expect
that the report will be ready be- II
ore congress adJoprns. As the n
tandard Oil company presents an
lually hard problem for the investi- G.
ators it is not likely that any of the :,
esults of the Investigation will be
nown before congress meets next
III. The law establishing the bureau 8
corporations instructs that bureau
make its reports TO the president,
nd under that law the bureau may is
vestigate any or all corporations ia
he people of Kansas are much
'oused at the situation in that state Ia
Id Will cooperate with any agents al
mt out by the bureau. The Standard
ii company recently issued an order g.
IT to buy crude oil from the 1000 i,
ellis in the state and an enormous ~
mount of property had been practi- ~
lily idle. The pipes run to the re-
leries in Kansas City, and the re- q
sal of the company to allow the II
'ners of the wells to use them is ru
using great hardship. Gov. Hoch
IS signed the bill appropriating m
10000 for the erection and main hi
nance of a state oil refinery with a Pl
pacity of 1000 barrels a day The an
vernon said the measure was not tn
signed to drive the Standard Oil
mpany from the state or deprive it
its rights, but merely to compel 1T
be decent. The house has also
ssed, without dissenting vote. the
| making oil pipe lines common To-
rriers. Without this bill the re-
cry plan could not be carried out Nj
ecessfully, owing to lack of pipe
es owned by the state. Ell