Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-07-18
The Investigation of the Bureau
Of Corporations Had Effect
in New England
INDEPENDENTS GIVEN A CHANCE
Monopoly Which the Standard En-
jeyed in the New England States Has
Been Pretty Effectually Broken by
The Action Of Railroads in Cutting
Out the Rebates.

Washington, July 1S.-One of the
definite results of the campaign of the
bureau Of corporations against the
i Standard, Oil Company has been the
breaking Of the oil trusts monopoly of
the New England field. For the first
time in twenty years Independent re-
flners are now able to get their pro-
ducts into Massachusetts. Maine, Ver-
mont and other states of that section
on equal terms with, the oil of the
trust,
Officers of the trusts threw up their
hands in every direction as soon as
they learned that the government
meant business in its search for evil
dence to begin prosecutions. The rail-
roads which have always been an es-
sential factor in maintaining the power
OF unlawful combination also surren-
dered like Davy Crocketts coon when
Commissioner Garfield, leveled his
gun at them. Illegal determinations
and rebates and arbitrary rules drawn
in the interests of the oil trust for in
stance have been abandoned in great
many cases since the bureau of COR
porations went on the warpath. The
result of these reforms has been to
loosen the grip Of the trust ON the mar
ket in certain territories and to open
new fields for the Independents.
Only Oil Barred.
The most striking instances of this
is found in New England. Until the
last few weeks the two railroads that
control the traffic of that section, the
), New York, New Haven &. Hartford and
the Boston & Maine, refused to make
thru rates from the west to their ter
ritory. This refusal applied only to
oil and in some Instances to one other
commodity. The Independent ref1n-
ers OF Pennsylvania, Ohio, and other
states desiring to ship into New Eng
land had to pay one rate to the edge
OF that territory and then a local and
much higher charge to Boston or other
points of destination. Cheap thru rates
could be obtained over these railroads
from the west on coal lumber and
all other classes Of freight, save oil
and one other product
This arbitrary policy on the part of
the railroads In question apparently
was for the purpose of favoring the
Standard Oil, because the trust was
not affected by the discrimination. One
Of the largest refineries of the Stand
ard Oil Company is located at Bay
ofi1ie, N. j. This refinery supplies the
greater part of New England with oil.
1t is shipped in tank steamers from
the seacoast to Boston or some other
point, from which it is distributed at
minimum railroad charge. The prac-
teal result Of this arrangement has
been to give an absolute monopoly
TO the trust in this big region, be-
cause 1t was the only concern having
refinery on the seacoast.
Forced to Surrender.
Attorney General Moody and Com,
missioner Garfield conferred together
to determine whether or not the policy
of New England railroads constituted
an illegal discrimination under the
Sherman law and the EllSins law. 1t Is
not necessary to institute legal suits to
determine this point, however, because
Commissioner Garfield has been noti-
fled that the New York. New Haven &
Hartford railroad has abolished it's old
system and now pro-rates on oil from
the west The Boston & Maine has
followed suit and will now give thru
rates on oil just as it does on other
products.
This is a tremendous concession to
the independent refiners. 1t opens to
them a large and lucrative field from
which they have been excluded for a
great many years. The action of these
railroads will be followed by vigorous
canvassing of the New England states
by agents of independent refners.
Tobacco Trust Whipped.
Similar reforms have been wrung
fro0 other trusts since the prosecution
of illegal combinations has become
reality. The bureau of corporations is
constantly hearing of concessions
which the tobacco trust is making un-
der pressure from Mr.. Garfield's in
vestigators.
Retail tobacco dealers state that the
trust has relaxed its persecution in a
number of instances recently. One
dealer said that he thought the relief
brought to the retail trade in the city
OF Chicago alone more than compen-
stated for the total cost of maintains |
Ing the bureau of corporations since it's |
etoJ,1sc1,pant