Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-09-12
ANOTHER HOT SHOT.
Letter Sent To Utah General Agent
Setting Forth OIL Grievances.

Now that IL Is apparently the pro-
| per caper 10 take a fall out II the
| railroads the various traftic officials
are being inundated with alleged griv-
ances on the part Of the shippers, Job
bers and merchants Among the lat
est. however, IL a typewriter letter re-
ceived from local general agent from
| the National Petroleum association
this morning Just why IL should have
/ been sent to a general agent instead
Of 10 his superior officer al the head
| OF traffic affairs is not apparent Fur
thermore Just why a hot arraignment
Of the railroads on the tariff on oil
should be mailed TO Utah Is another
mystery. However, here Is the letter:
1T has occurred TO the writer that
few Of the railroad companies under
stand the oil situation. IL would seem
that II the matter were thoroughly un-
derstood II could never have become
what II H. The whole history Of the
transportation OF petroleum and its pro-
ducts shows that the 'Oil trust" has
absolutely controlled the situation. and
that everything has been done for It's
own interest al the expense not only
Of the people generally but OF the rail-
roads in particular.
In the laying OF pipe lines nom oil
fields 10 refining points the oil trust
has induced the railway companies 10
raise the rate on oil 20 as to abso-
lutely protect the pipe line and drive
an the crude oil produced IN any OF
the oil fields through the Standard
pipe lines TO refining points. For in
stance. the rate before the pipe line
was completed 10 the seaboar5 for the
Pennsylvania field was So cents a bar
rel: after Il was completed It was
raised TO IS cents a barrel. After the
Whiting Refinery was completed and
the Buckeye pipe line was laid from
the ohio. indiana field to Whiting the
rate was raised from 7, cents pei hun
drcd TO T. cents per hundred. When
the Kansas-lndian Territory field was
connected by pipc line with the Sugar
Creek refinery az Kansas city the rate
was raised from 10 cents yer hundred
TO Il cents per hundred. Tho result in
each case was the same. robbing the
railroads Of any shipments Of crude
between any points connected. making
Il impossible for any independent COM
panies TO transport any oil between
such points. The railroad companies
simply lend themselves to this condi-
tion 10 their own detrinent and 20 the
deiriment Of the public. They arc
guilty Of homicide and suicide. They
XIII the independent companies and cut
their own ihroats. This same condition
Of things extends from refining points
10 points Of distribution and ultimate
~ 10 the distribution Of oil 10 the con.
sumers.
The oil Trust has established
tank stations throughout the country.
From refining points 10 these stations
they ship In tank carloads al a lover
rate than l. accorded TO any other
distributing points al an average re-
ceipt OF I'VE to six mills per ionmiie.
and the great bulk ~ the oil thus
transported IN tank-csrs 20 such tank
stations n distributed by tank-wagons
over the Intervening distance betweeA
such tank-stations. The tank-wagons
Or. protected BY the railroad companies,
through their keeping local rates al
such a high point as 10 prohibit indie
penden, companies from distributing
their oil except within a very limited
radius from their points o. distr1ou-
iion
''rAs 'nderen5en, companies have not