The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-20
RAILROADS MUST
 ANSWER CHARGES Kansas Oil Producers Have
 Made Complaint
AGREEMENTS ARE ALLEGED
Carriers Are Charged With Dlscrlm. mating Against the compIaInants In Favor of Prairie and
 Standard Companies.

Washington. February 19.-The inter states commission has ordered an investi- gation of the rates and practices of the railroad carriers engaged in transport ing oil from Kansas and Indian territory to interstate destinations, the hearing to be held at Kansas City. Mo, March 12, 19o6 The investigation is based upon a petition of the Kansas oil Producers as- sociation embracing a number of charges.
 The following named carriers are re- quired to appear for investigation:
 Atehison, Topeka and Sante Fe Rail- road company, the Missouri Pacific Rail road company, the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway company, the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad company, the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Rail- road company, the Union Pacific railroad, the Kansas City Southern Railway conn pany. the St. Louis Southwestern Rail- road company
 The charges filed by the Kansas oil Producers association on which the in- vestigation will be based are as follows;
 Reasons for the Suit.
 That the rates charged by railroad com mon carriers of petroleum and its prod ucts from producing sections in the state of Kansas and Indian Territory to destin- ations in Missouri. Iowa, Nebraska, llh- nois, Arkansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, In dian Territory and other interstate des- tinations are unreasonable, unjust and unduly prejudicial.
 That producers and shippers of petro- leum and the products thereof In the state of Kansas, other than the Stan dard oil company and the Prairie Oil and Gas company and those controlled or affiliated with said company or either of them are by reason of said unjust, unreasonable and unduly prejudicial rates practically confined in the marketing or such traffic to the state of Kansas.
 That the state of Kansas by act of legislature established in the year 1soo a schedule of distance rates for the trans portation by railroad of crude oil and the products thereof between points in that state which Is reasonable and just has resulted in no loss of revenue to the car riers and has operated to create markets for the sale of such traffic within that state; and that such rates for extreme dis tances in Kansas are both proportionate- ly and in the aggregate far below the grossly excessive rates charged by said carriers to points located in the states or in the territories near the boundary between such states or territories and the state of Kansas.
 Secret Agreements Alleged.
 That the freight rates maintained by said carriers on petroleum and the prod ucts thereof, shipped as interstate traI- fic from points in Kansas and from points in Indian Territory and the various changes made therein since the discovery and development of the oil helds In Nan sas and Indian Territory operate to re- strict and prevent traffic between num- erous points and show that said carriers as the result of some unknown arrange ment or agreement between them, or be- tween some of said carriers and the Prairie oil and Gas company or the Stan dard Oil company, or companies or per- sons affiliated with said companies, or either of them, or for other reasons, have been and are causing and fostering a monopoly in the control, handling and shipment of such traffic in the said Prairie Oil and Gas company or the Standard oil company or companies or persons af- Inflated with said companies, or either ot them to the wrongful undue and unlaw- ful prejudices and disadvantage of com- painant members and other competitors of said oil companies.
 That the said carriers also wrongfully and unjustly discriminate against com plainant members and other producers and shippers of oil from the states of Kansas and Indian Territory to inter- state destinations, in favor of said Prairie oil and Gas company or the Standard Oil company, and persons or companies con- trolled by said companies, or affiliated herewith in the provision of tank cars, box cars storage facilities at various points of destination, and destination of tank cars and empty barrels to points of production.