Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-12-28
REPORT ON "OIL TRUST
TO GO BEFORE CONGRESS

tions in the oil industry, as discovered
in the various parts of the country.
will be made public. The report of
the conditions in the Kansas oil field
will be especially exhaustive, because
of the fact that Representative Camp
bell of Kansas was the author of the
resolution under which the inquiry was
made.
The break made by Commissioner
Garfield in investigating the business
affairs of the big packers and which
was brought out in the trial at Chica-
go by the filing of the pleas in bar to
the indictments, has caused that Off
cial much worry. His explanation OF
the claim by the packers that he prom
Used immunity is awaited with great
interest, and if he fails to explain this
to the satisfaction of the Chicago jury
| it will have an important effect on the
promised prosecutions growing out OF
| the Standard oil inquiry
| AS most OF the field work in the oil
Investigation was completed before
the packers raised the immunity is
sue, Mr.. Garfield was unable to avoid
the mistakes he is said to have made
in the packers Investigation.
1
According to reliable information
from the department of commerce and
labor, Mr.. Garfield's investigations ear
/ railroads in the affairs of the Standard
companH They found that either be.
cause of the large shipments controlled
by the Standard or because OF the
heavy holding of railroad securities by
1.-THE Rockefellers and their associates,
they We're practically able to dictate
freight rates allowed to all the indie
pendents. While these determinations
against the Standard com petitors We're
not so fragrant as in the days of the
Southern Development company Com
: missioner Garfield's report is expected
to show that by manipulating the
transportation facilities of the country
and the maintenance of subsidiary com
, panies in practically all the cities OF
: any consequence the Standard has
7 been able to eliminate practically al
$ independents from the field.
! Inquiry in Kansas.
Two general classes of apparently
;. independent companies claimed to be
maintained by the Standard will BIZ
! outlined in the report, those which con
troll The marketing of the crude petro
leum and those which distribute thu
= finished products to the consumer. O
u the former class one that will be deal
/ with at length is the Prairie Oil ant
j Gas company of Kansas, which is thu
g name of the concern that stirred up al
the rumpus in Representative Camp
bells district, which led to putting EN-
). ployes of Commissioner Garfield
# bueau on the trail.
i. The report will also show that. tn
/ Standard maintains fake independen
A oil distributing companies" at point
= where competition exists, and, Will
= prices are maintained by the Standar
J. in the territory in dispute, the flake
: independent company does the slashln
: and cutting thatsis aimed at the ger
:. uine independent concern
= In the Texas field some importan
! evidence of railroad discrimination wi
be reported by Mr.. Garfield. He wi
y show that rates on OIL north bound t
~ Chicago and st. Louis and south boun
from the same points are not equal
+ maintained, and that as most OF tn
~ Standard Oil goes southwark, the oil
n ferential is in favor of the traffic boun
- in that direction.
&c Similar conditions, it is said, hav
~ been discovered in most of the otht
Is sections of the country, and the ey
Is dence that will be outlined in the r
81 port will cover all the oil fields in tt
z, United States, as well as the great di
" tributing centers.