Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-06-09
FIGHT WITH STANDARp OIL.
siqns That II Will Be Joined In Ear
nest at Washington.

FIGHT WITH STANOAhp oiI'
Signs That II Will Be Joined In Ear.
nest at Washington.
A Washington special to the New
York Evening Post says: whether
pipe lines for the conveyance OF OIL
can be declared common carriers, Is
subject with which congress next WIN
ter will be asked to grapple. 1t Is en-
tirely clear that the moving oil from
one state to another in this way Is
interstate commerce, and that any
new line could be thus decreed COM
mon carrier. But the application OF
this principle to existing lines, In Ger
tain conditions. might present grave dif-
flculties in view Of the constitutional
provision In the fifth amendment that
private property shall not be taken for
public use without just compensation
and the provision Of the fourteenth
amendment: Nor shall any state
deprive any person of life, liberty, or
property. without due process OF law
Suppose a Standard Oil pipe was al
ready fully occupied with Its own
business. and outside persons desiring
to have oil conveyed, demand that this
pipe as a common carrier should take
theirs; who would adjust the loss to
the Standard Oil company?
These questions. 1t is felt here, VIII
soon arise, since the Standard OIL
company, that veteran Of many bat
ties In congress and state legislatures,
is preparing for another defensive
campaign. It foresees that congress
at the coming session will be moving
on its works, and that the present OF
the United States will be lending en-
couragement to the attack. Represen-
tative Campbell Of Kansas, who intro
duced the resolution In the house OF
representatives, directing the bureau
of corporations Of the department OF
commerce and labor to investigate the
Standard, came here a few days ago
to make sure that the administration
Is not displaying any lukewarmness
toward the investigation. He talked
with the president, Secretary Metcalf'
and Commissioner Garfield Of the bu-
reau of corporation, and he has re-
turned home with a message OF en-
couragement to the independent oil
producers of Kansas. He found the
officials from the president down to
the agents in the field determined to
push the investigation In a way that
will bring results.
Commissioner Garfield hopes to
have his report ready for congress
when 1t meets in November. The In
dependent operators in Kansas believe
he will recommend that pipe lines be
made common carriers. Inquiry here
fails to confirm the story that he has
made up his mind definitely on this
proposition, but there are some rea-
sons for believing that this Is what ne
intends to do. After the house OF rep
resentatives had ordered the investi-
CATION last February, bill was in
troduced declaring pipe lines common
carriers, and therefore amenable to
the provisions of the interstate COM
merce law, but as the session was
nearing an end 1t was not considered.
The story now is that Commissioners
Garfield, after spending several weeks
| In the fields Of Kansas, Indian Terri
tory and California, has reached the
conclusion that the only remedy for
existing conditions lies In the applica-
ton of the common carrier principle
to the pipe lines Of the Standard-and
to all other oil companies. for that
matter.
II a recommendation of this char
acter should go to congress. approved
by the president and Attorney General
Moody. the public may expect to see
the Standard company put on Its fight
| ing clothes. Public men who have beer
through fights with the oil monopoly
in the past declare that II fight be-
tween the administration and the
Standard should break out, railroad
rate legislation will be obliged to d.
vide public attention with 1t.
Representative Campbell said while
here that authority for the indepen
dent oil producers Of Kansas to use
the pipe lines of the Standard or
equal terms would, he believed. RENE
dy all the ills of which the indepen-
dent producers now complain. If such
federal action would help the inde-
pendents in Kansas II would, OF course
be advantageous to the struggling In
dependent producers In Indiana, Ohio
Pennsylvania. and In every other oil
field. No doubt Commissioner Gar
field. In his report. will recommend
other legislation tending to curb the
Standard, but this would be the Inn
portant step.