The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1905-05-19

senator Amsdcn'. Reply TO the
Charge that The Legislature
was Elim-tlamCd

| Inc minneapolis journal, OF
April 30th, contained an article
from a special correspondent at
Sioux Falls, which charged that
| the legislature was worked by
the Standard oil company when
it reduced the oil inspection test
The following is Il communication
sent to the journal by Mr.. Ans
/ den, who was Il mem Der of the
senate, and acquainted with all
Of the facts in regard to the law,
and which shows how totally
erroneous are the conclusions
presented by the former CORES
pOndent.
| noticed an article in the Journal
of the 29th ult. under these headlines;
'Oil King Thumb on South Dakota
| The Legislature was Flimhamed by
the Octopus.
| am much surprised that the whole
truth was not told. Tho | presume
the author of the article knew that if
| he told the whole truth there would not
! have been anything sensational and
the story would not have been worth
writing.
I That the people of South Dakota
who read the Journal may not be mis-
| led and frightened by this article
referred to, | wish to say that [ be-
lieve that the legislature acted with a
full understanding Of the whole situ-
alton and for the best interests Of the
people of South Dakota.
The contention Of the Stand Oil
company was that the standard fixed
| by the legislature Of 1903 was too high.
as the oils from the fields knoSn as
the Kansas oil fields would not stand
a gravity test of Is, and that the Kan
sas oils at IL were Just as good as the
eastern oils at &c, therefore, they ask
ed the legislature to amend the law
of 1903 by reducing the gravity from
As to II and raising the residue from
per cent to 10 per cent. This, of
course, would admit all oils, both
Kansas and eastern, at a lower grade
test and would have been hard ship
to all the people of the state who were
depending upon illuminating oil for
lighting purposes, as the lower grade
oils would be shipped from the east.
The Standard Oil company stated
that if Kansas oil could be admitted,
it could be sold for ) cents gallon
less, and thereby save the people of
the state approximately 500, 600 a
year, and II 1t was Just as good, they
did not see why 1t should be barred.
/ They went further and said to the leg
islature: "G on can select any chemist
you may wish. Send him to the oil
fields in Kansas. Let him make a.
thOrO test and comparison of Kansas
and eastern oils, and if his report will
not bear us out in our contention that
Kansas oil is just as good, or better,
at II, than eastern oil at 46, we will ask
no change in law. Besides, we will
pay the expenses of the inveotig alton. "
| Now | wish to ask, was it an unwise
! move, from business standpoint, to
accept the proposition and make the
| investig alton? | think not. SO, Pro-
fessor James II. Shepard, chemist at
/ the Agricultural college, at BrOOkings,
was selected to make the investigation,
not as a representative of the Stand
ard Oil company, but Of the state and
a more competent and conservative
man in his line Of work does not ex-
list within or without the state.
Well, Professor Shepard made the
comparisons and investigation, to-
gether with the professor of chemistry
at the state university, at Nermillion,
and reported to the legislature, not
that it would save the state 500, 600
annually, nor that the Kansas oils
would not stand the test of 4G, but
that the Kansas oil for Illuminating
purposes had more candle power,
gave as bright a tiamc, had no more
corrodlng prOspertles, and lasted
longer at 42 than eastern oil at IS.
But the legislature did not reduce the
standard from 46 to II, as asked by
the Standard Oil company. but made
an additional standard for Kansas oil
of A. gravity and ! per cent residue,
while for all other oils shipped into
the state for Illuminating purposes
the standard remains the same, IS
gravity, per cent residue. 1t is re-
quired that all oils shipped from
the Kansas oil fields be labeled "Kan-
sas OIL" And | wish to say that we
are getting just as good oil now as we
did before the lst Of January, at 3
cents gallon less in cost. Awful,
isn't it: C. M. AMSDEN,
Senator Thirty-frst District, South
Dakota.
Milbank, S. D., May 2d.