Los Angeles herald., 1906-05-07
STANDARD OIL To
Be INVESTIGATED
RELATIONS WITH RAILROADS
WILL BE SHOWN UP
Russls's National Assembly TO Con-
vsne May to--eeneral News
Forecast for the Present
Week
px Associated Press.

BY Associated Press
WASHINGTON, d. c., May 6.--The
interstate commerce commission on
May 10 will begin one of the most
thorough inquiries that has ever been
instituted into the relations between
the railroads and the Standard Oil COM
pany.
Special counsel has been engaged and
hundreds of subpoenas issued. Inde-
pendent oil refiners have been sum-
moned and the commission will make
as drastic an investigation as possible
The ecclesiastical court which tried
DR. Algernon s. Crapsey of Rochester,
N. Y, for heresy, will reassemble in
executive session at the Parish house
of st. James church, Batavia, May Q,
to examine the evidence and decide on
q verdict.
The following day the court will
transmit their findings to Bishop
Walker, upon whom rests the respon-
slbility of deciding what punishment, If
any, shall be meted out.
Russia's National Assembly
The national assembly of Russia, to
which so many hopes for the future OF
that country are pinned, will be con-
vened at the Taurlde palace in st.
Petersburg on Thursday, May 10.
lHe DdllOudl dSSbInDlNs OF uOut1d,
was granted by the emperor August
10, 1905, and, according to the official
announcement, 'is established for the
preliminary study and definition of
legislative propositions, which, accord
ing to the fundamental laws, go up
through the council of the empire to
the supreme autocratlc authority"
The composition of the council of the
empire, or upper house, one-half ap-
pointed by the emperor and one-half
selected from the nobility and clergy,
would seem sufficiently probable to
deadlock the douma should there be
any opposition to the crown.
Manifesto Looks Innocent
The manifesto issued on March 6,
1906 was an innocent looking provision,
placing beyond the jurisdiction of par
lament and consigning for considera-
ton to commissions of the council of
the empire, the reports of the minister
of finance, charges of malfeasance
against officials of the government, the
establishment of stock companies with
especial privileges and relating to en-
tailed estates of nobility, etc.
The government retains the power to
promulgate Temporary laws during
the recesses of parliament, and as the
parliament is subject to dissolution by
imperial ukase the government is In a
position in time of stress to rid itself
of any obnoxious legislature and pro-
claim such laws as it deems necessary.
Three hundred and seventy-one mem
bers have been elected to the assembly
of which the constitutional Democrats
have clear working majority.
AgrarIan Problem
The first and all important matter to
yIrf11 he he r1r-fn III
and recent dispatches from st. Peters
burg seem to indicate that the govern
nent will work in accord with the
assembly in this matter by proposing
the formation of a parliamentary COM
mission to elaborate plans for an
Agrarian project. This will practically
mean the acceptance of the decision of
the constitutional Democrats.
Practically all the members of the
United States senate agree in predict
ing that the present week will see the
end of the discussion on the railroad
rate bill. The fact that this provision
is accepted by the conservative sena-
torial leaders on the one hand and by
the president on the other renders it
practically certain that the amendment
Will in the end be accepted as a party
measure and that it will receive most,
If not all, of the votes of Republican
senators.
The consideration Of the bill will pro-
ceed in accordance with the unanimous
agreement, the measure being consld-
cred section by section and each section
disposed of in order
The proceedings last Friday, the only
day on which the senate has been in
session under the agreement, indicated
that there is little prospect of any gem
eral change in the measure
1t seems probable that changes may
be made favoring giving the commits
sion power to compel trunk lines to
make connection with other lines, and
prohibiting the transportation COM
panies from engaging in the produc-
tion of commodities.
Amendments for the accomplishment