The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-05-05
MAKE HOT REPLY TO
CHARGES IN REPORT
Statement Untruthful and I'm
lust, Standard Oil Men Say.
Slap at President.
lRy Associated Press.l

@AN-'OS'e~S~>" + -
NEW YORK. May Ain reply to Pres
idcnt Roosevelts message and the report
Of Commissioner Garfield, Messrs. II. II.
Rogers and John D. Archbold, OF the
Standard Oh Company, made long
statement to the Associated Press. +
Among other things the statement. says: 4
.'In the Presidents effort to secure
the passage OF a bill enlnrging the pow
ers 'of the Interstate Commerce COM
m ssion and Just and equitable railway
rates, we have precisely the same inter-
est that any good citizen has-no more
and no less. -,
Regarding his criticisms upon the man
agement Of the railways or his structures
upon any acts OF the Interstate com
merce Commission, we have neither re-
sponsibilty nor concern. When, now
ever he or Commissioner Garfield at
tacks the Standard OIL Company and uses
its methods Of doing business as an obs
ject lesson for the purpose of promoting
his views, we protest. 1t may be frankly
stated at the outset that the Standard
on Company, has at all times. within
the limits OF fairness and with due re-
gard for the law, sought to secure the
most advantageous freight rates ana
routes possible There Will be no GENIAL
of this fact on our part. The question
is whether we have at any point violated
the law or the proprieties.
Untruthful and Unjust.
zone does not care to handy words with
the President Of the United States, It is
roc easy to dtferentiate between Mr..
Roosevelt, the President, and Mr.. Roose-
welt, the Individual. He has given US OF
his advice most generously upon every
subject, from the size OF our familles
to the mistakes Of the Federal JUDGES,
and some error is inevitable now and tnen
"a the most conservative man under
such circumstances.
1--WE say flatly that any assertion that
the Standard OH Company has peen or
Is now knowingly engaged In practices,
which are unlawful Ia alike untrutn'ul
and unjust
I'tThe commissioner Is peculiarly unlor-
tunate on this subject OF rebates no
says tho Standard Oh Company has ha.
bltually received from the railroads ana
Is now receiving. secret rates and other
unjust and Illegal determinations
1T is hardly fair or manly for him
to add the sentence 'of course there may
be other secret rates which the bureau lu
has not discovered,
"Jn dealing with the discriminating
which are alleged to be violations OF
the interstate commerce law, the PLAN
answer ID that II Mr.. Garf'eld's state
1nent Ia correct, 1t was the duty OF INC
Interstate Commerce Commission 10
| have taken action and brought not alone
| the Standard Oil Company, but the ral!'
| road companies involved TO BOOK Wh.sh
| they have never done. Violations Of tNa
| law In this respect do not fall within tho
| jurisdiction OF the bureau of corporation
and nny statement on the part OF Mr.,
| Garfield respecting this subject IS
gratultous and yalueless,
Excites Amusement.
1T is asserted over and over again
| I'M tho report that the standard Oh com,
pany profIted by secret and unlawful
| freight rates. Yet In the same connec'
| tlon It Is admitted In the report thai
| all Of the rates are covered by tariffs
| filed with the Interstate Commerce Cons
mission precisely as the law provides.
and therefore cannot he either secFe|
| or unlawful,
1.-THE statement that the Standard on
Company has largely by unfair and unl
lawful methods. crushed out home CONF
petition, is. fully answered by the fact
that homo competition has always ex'
listed, Is steadily growing, and tina thsre
are now at least Is competitive retlh'
cries In the United States Il, y
GAS to the claim that changes IN ates
have been made since the commissioners
efficient work began, all the Standard
| Oil Company has to say Is that any such
changes have been made without It's s'Ig7
gestion or effort.
.The grief which the President ex-
presses in his message oyer the Inability
o. the railroads to combine and protect
Themselves from the shippers will prob
ably arouse amusement,
Man With Muck Rake.
uThe President says, respecting this
investigation, that the facts are not IN
dispute, only the differences are disputed.
The Standard Oil Company furnished the
faets, and a man With a muck rake dug