Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-05-19
Complete Statistics Secured by Com.
missioner in the Standard Oil In.
vestlgation- Calls Attention to
Statements of Railroad Officials.


The publication of the message and
the synopsis of the report attracted
widespread attention.
Answers Oil Officials.
Comments on the message and re.
port were made by officials of the
Standard Oil company and several
systems of railroads. In submitting
to the President the full report of his
inquiry, Garfield wrote letter to him
inviting his attention to some publish
ed comments on the oil report attrib-
uted; to certain railroad officials and
representatives of the oil trust. That
letter was made public today by the
direction Of the President, although it
was not sent to congress with Gar
fields report. 1t is interesting, be.
cause 1t contains Garfield's answer, by
directing attention to certain parts If
his complete report, to the comments
which have been made"
OIL Men Reply.
New York. May 17-In a statement
issued by the Standard Oil company
yesterday a sweeping denial is made
OF the charges contained in President
Roosevelt's message to congress and
| Y.
The trust takes up and answers
specific charges of secret rates and of
unfair open rates which worked to its
advantage
The specific charge that the trust
had profited to the extent of $75O,000
yearly by rebates was dismissed as
based on ,theoriziig.
"ls An AbsL dity."
1t is a palpable absurdity to call
the Standard Oil monopoly" is one
OF the declarations made in the an
swer. And this point is supported BIZ
the assertions that there are in exist
ence in this countr. 1875 rival rein.
cries; that 60 per cent of it's business
is with foreign countries; that after
an investigation Of many thousands of
shipments over various railroads COW
erlng 100000 Of mileage not one case
or rebating has been discovered, and
the trust says Commissioners Garfield
mad no business to. cast aspersions
upon great corporation.
Company Is Modest.
The statement says that in order to
nave accomplished what is charged by
the bureau of corporations there must
not only have been COLLISION between
the Standard Oil company and the
railroads, but between the railroads
themselves.
1t is asserted that no rates can be
made applicable to the Standard which
VIII not be equally applicable to the
Standards competitors"
One assertion made in the answer ia
that the company owns and controls
only very moderate percentage of
the crude oil production of the United
States"
While the Standard Oil statement
was not issued until late yesterday
afternoon the stock market enjoyed
something ola boom prior to that time
in anticipation of its appearance.
No Rebates.
me statement issued by the Stand
ard Oil, signed by G. M Pratt, secre-
tary, was as follows:
After an investigation of shipments
during q period of about fifteen years
over more than 100000 miles of rail.
way, the commissioners is not able to
show that the Standard Oil company
received a single rebate on it's inter
state shipments. He has only been
able to call attention to few instances
in which the rate situation, in his opin-
ion, required an explanation This ex-
PLANTATION was freely given and we be-
lieve would have been satisfactory to
any man familiar with transportation
problems.
IF the commissioner had any doubts
as to the regularity of these rates he
might have brought them to the at.
tention of the interstate commerce
commission, when the questions at is
sue could have been heard and de-
termined. In the absence of such de-
termination it is surely not within lin
its Of fairness for the bureau of cor
porations to cast aspersions upon
great corporation.
Monopoly? Absurd"
"The company owns and controls
only very moderate percentage of the
crude oil production of the United
States, and with at least 125 rival re-
fineries in existence it is a palpable alb
surdity to call it a monopoly. For the
last quarter of century more than
sixty per cent of its output has been
shipped to foreign countries.
in creating and sustaining this vast
foreign trade the company has en-
countered innumerable obstacles and
incessant competition from other Pc
troleum industries possessing the adj
vantages Of geographical location and
cheaper labor, and which are often
times developed under the fostering
care of their respective governments
IF the company maintains crafty
ing percentage of the worlds com
merce 1t is because 1t keeps its agree
ments and delivers products of reliable
quality at reasonable prices. Whatever
measure of prosperity it has enjoyed
is not traceable to illegal or reprehen-
sible methods, but to its economic and
elaborate industrial organization, coy
ering, as it does, every detail of trans
portation. manufacture and administra-
tion.s