The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-12
WHAT KANSAS CLAIMS.
Charges Now Being Aired Before inter-
state Commerce Commission.

Kansas City. March 12-That portion
Of the petition fled by the chairman of
the legislation committee CT the Kan
sas OH Producers association with
Commissioner James r. Garfield rela-
tive to interstate freight rates which
has caused congress to order the pres
ent investigation Is as follows:
Your petitioners firmly believe that
no class of shippers in the United States
today are moro directly affected by in
terstate freight rates than the inue-
pendent oil men, by reason Of the fact
that their competitor controls many
great railroad systems, and owns a pipe
line forming a net work over the Arneri-
can nation, rendering them compare
lively independent OF the freight rates
they establish for their rival to pay.
By means Of a rerlaFlza Bile manipula-
ton of interstate freight rates, the
Standard Oh company has endeavored
to crush all competition from the Kan
sas oil fields outside the bounds Of the
state of Kansas. Today you can ship
the same quantity of oil one hundred
miles in Kansas for the same price that
you can ship it five miles If those five
miles happen to cross the state line
One is controlled By state legislation,
the other is Interstate commerce.
Your petitioners represent that, so
long as present conditions continue,
they are absolutely confined to the ter
ritory within the boundaries of the
state of Kansas as d Ease of operations.
They declare that the Standard OH
company and the railroads have built
q Chinese wall around Kansas Within
the boundaries Of 4ansa these agencies
inform US we can1haFe a square 'deeti'
but whenever we 'af9eInpBnto cross the
state lire we are con i1fercially dead
We are hefnmed in on all sides. Like
prison guards, the railroads and the
Standard Oil company Turk on the Dor
ders of the state, gun in hand. ready to
rflsa hrE
temerity to ship his oil, either crude or
refined, outside the borders Of the state
If we are going to have any fndepend-
ent competition in crude petroleum ana
the products of crude petroleum worthy
of the name, we must have W1der
market than the state of Kansas.
To illustrate how effectively the rail-
roads have narrowed the efforts Of the
Kansas independent ref1neries and IN
dependent producers. a rev IN
stances taken absolutely at random on
the four sides of the state viii sufnce:
The freight rate from Chanute, Kan.
to KfoWa Kan, on the south, a dis
lance of 185 miles, is cents per 100
pounds, while the rate from Chanute,
kan, to Alva. Okla, 1919 miles, IS 80
cents per 100 pounds; thus an Increase
Of IS miles nearly quadruples the
freight rate, although it is over the
same line of railroad, in the same d.
rection and in similar territory The
rate on oil from CAdlA0L6s 1AdAAs ~
Coolidge. Kan. on the west, 485 miles,
is Is cents per 100 pounds, while the
rate to Holly. Col, 491 miles, is so
cents per 100 pounds; an increase in
this case OF six miles on the same rail-
road and in the same direction nearly
quadruples the rate
The rate on oil to Galena, Kan, on
the east from CherryVale. kan, S.
miles, is 64s cents per 100 pounds as
compared to II cents from Cherry
vale, Kan, to Joplin, No, y miles.
The freight rate on oil from Chanute,
Kan, to Weber. Kan 254 miles. is
.1Ob cents per 100 pounds, as COM
pared with the rate to Superior, Mob,
on the same line of railroad, but seven
miles more distance which is 80 cents
per hundred pounds. In this case a
haul Of seven miles more than doubles
the freight.
The effect of these exorbitant inter-
state rates is to confine the business of
the independent oil producers and re-
hners within the state of Kansas.
The petition to Mr.. Garfield goes on
to state the Caney- Bartlesville and
Chanute- Kansas City case with other
comparisons showing the injustice Of
interstate freight rates on oil and ask
ing that they may be made reasona BILE
and fair in order that independent
competition in the oil business worthy
Of the name may grow and prosper. 1t
asks for no special favors, but demands
justice.