Mexico Missouri message., 1906-05-10

tiOn 60 Correct Immunity PrOvi-
sion In Humphreys Decision.
Washington, May 5.-President
Roosevelt transmitted to congress Fri
day the report of James r. Garfield,
commissioner of corporations, giving
the results of his investigation of
the subject of transportation and
freight rates in connection with
the oil industry. In his message
the president expresses the view that
the report is of capital Importance, be-
cause of the effort now being made TO
secure such enlargement of the pow
ers of the interstate commerce COM
mission as viii confer upon the COM
mission power in some measure ade-
Quate to meet the clearly-demon-
strated needs of the situation. The
facts set forth in the report, he de-
clares, are for the most part not dis
puted. That the Standard Oil Co. has
benefited enormously up almost to
the present moment by secret rates,
many of which were clearly unlawful,
the president says the report clearly
shows, the benefit thereby secured
amounting to at least three.quarters
Of million year On this subject
he says:
This three-Quarters Of a million repre-;
sents the profit that the Standard OIL
Co. obtains at the expense of the rail-
roads; but of course the ultimate result
is that II obtains much larger. profit
at the expense Of the public. A very
striking result of the Investigation has
been that shortly after the discovery OF
of corporations, the major portion OF
them were promptly corrected by the
railroads, 80 that most OF them have now
correction, partial or complete, Of the
evil of the secret rates, Is Of course on
the one hand an acknowledgment that
they were wrong, and yet were perse-
Vered in until exposed; on the other hand,
q proof OF the efficiency of the work
that has been done by the bureau of cor
porations.
The statement is added that the de-
partment of justice will take up the
question of instituting prosecutions in
at least certain of the cases, and the
hope is expressed that congress will
enact into law the bill Of Senator
Knox to correct the Interpretation of
the immunity provision rendered in
Judge Humphreys decision. Con-
tinuing, the president says:
But in addition to these secret rates
the Standard Oil profits immensely by
open rates, which are so arranged as to
give 1t an overwhelming advantage over
Its independent competitors, This is a
characteristic example Of the numerous
evils which are inevitable under a sys-
tenn in which the big shipper, and the
Individual initiative and all power Of in.
dependent action because of the absence
of adequate and thOrough-going govern
mental control. Exactly similar condi-
lions obtain in large part of the west
and southwest.
exact amount by which the Standard
profits through the gross favoritism
shown It by the railroads in connection
The profit of course comes not merely
by the saving In the rate itself as com
pared with its competitors, but by the
higher prices It Is able to charge and
by the complete control of the market
which II secures, thereby getting the
profit on the whole consumption.
The president calls attention to that
feature of the report regarding the
manner in which the law is evaded by
treating as state commerce what in
reality is merely part Of interstate
commerce.
1t is unfortunately not true, he
saye, that the Standard Oil Co. Is the
only corporation which has benefited
and is beneftting in wholly improper
fashion by an elaborate series of rate
determinations. The Sugar Trust
be adds, according to the results OF
the investigation now in progress
rarely, If ever, pays the lawful rate
TOR transportation. He declares that
In the effort to prevent the railroads
from uniting for improper purposes
I'VE have very unwisely prohibite
them from uniting for proper pur
poses; that is, for purposes of pro
tecting themselves and the genera,
public as against the power of the
great corporations"
He favors, as an element of com
petition, putting alcohol usea in the
arts on the free list, and of keeping
the fee to oil and coal lands of the In
dian tribes or on the public domain
In the government, the lands to b.
leased only on such terms and 70
such periods as will enable the gov
eminent to entirely control them