The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-05-06
CALLS REPORT OF
GARFIELD OUTRAGE
President of Pennsylvania Dis
cusses Finding of the
Commissioner.

PHILADELPHIA, May 5-Vice-ProsI-
dent Thayer of the Pennsylvania Railroad
company today made the following state
ment concerning the report of Commis-
sloner Garfield in the Standard OIL in
quiry:
THE report of Commissioner Garfield.
so far as IT refers TO our company in Its
relations with the traffic OF the Standard
OIL company, Is an inexcusable and out
rageous peryersion of tho facts,
Rate Not a Secret.
ut is true that there has been in ef-
feet n special rate OF cents per barrel
on oil from Olean TO Rochester. and II
has not been withdrawn. This rate was
originally made in 1888 by the Western
New York and Pennsylvania railroad.
twelve years before the acquisition OF that
company by the Pennsylvania railroad. In
order to retain the railroad traffic which
would otherwise have gone by pipe line.
1t is not secret, and 1t never has been
secret. The tariff was not filed with tho
Interstate Commerce commission because
1t applies to traffic solely within the State.
Explains the Saving.
"As the so-called saving of $4,000 in
1904, / presume this is based on the dif-
ference between tho special rate and the
regular classification rate. This conveys
the impression that large sum OF money
was illestimately given by the railroad.
which. in view of the facts above ex-
plained. is manlfestly not true.
AS to blind Billing"
Reference is made 10 blind billing as
IL II were some secret device. This also
is untrue. The explanation of so-called
blind billing Is very simple: Billing is
another name used by railroads for mani
Testing. which is record of the ship,
ment made for use only Of the railroad
the traffic taking proper account of 1t, Tho
public never sees Il manifest. being In
tcrcsted only in the bill Of lading and
freight bill
Not Peculiar Practice.
The term blind is used when mani
tests arc made without the details being
shown. practice not infrequent and not
peculiar to the oil traffic. It's purpose is
to save clerical work This was fully eX-
planned 20 Commissioner Garheld's repre-
sentative and II was clearly shown TO him.
in the case under discussion. that the
actual freight money required by the Is
sued rate was collected and retained by
tho railroad company.
Only One Case.
After an exhaustive examination by
the Department of Commerce our books
and accounts being freely produced botn
on state and interstate tra1nc, IL appears
the only case that Commissioner Garfield
was able to present for criticism In all
our relations with the Standard OH COM
pany Ia the rate on oil between Olean
and Rochester two points In the state
OF New York n distance OF 100 miles
apart, at each OF which points Pre- To-
Gated re1neries of the Standard on COM
pany, and between which pipe line
could readily have been constructed.
Speaks Of Sugar Trust.
I'm the message from the President,
transmitting tho report of Commissioner
GARFIELD, reference is made TO the reln-
sugar trust at New York and to in
formation communicated to the President
that the so-called sugar trust rarely, IL
ever. pays the lawful rate for transpOrta-
tion. AS the Pennsylvania Railroad COM
pany Is known to participate largely in
necessarily follow that such information
applied 10 that company. and In View of
this. IL Is emlncntly proper that answer
thereto should be promptly made on that
company's behalf.
Denies Statement Made.
Having personal knowledge. l deny,
most positively. that such information Is
true, so far as the Pennsylvania Rail
road company is concerned on the con-
trary, / assert positively that the traffic
Of the so-called sugar trust or other
many years past at the lawful published
tariff rate, and that no rebate or unlaw-
cul concession, direct or Indirect has
been paid by our company on this traffic
1t is unfair and unjust to the Presi-
dent that he should be misled into be-
neyinS that any such condition of affairs
exists as stated"