Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-05-04

Chicago, May 4.-ons Of The most
thorough inquiries into the relation.
{ chip between the railroads and Stan
dard Oil Company thst ever has been
conducted BY the government, will
eosnmsnos il Chicago May 10, before
ShS interstate commerce commission.
special Council Marohand Of the oov,-
rnission, arrived today to make prelm-
inary arrangements.
Washington, May 4.--The presidents
/ message with Garfeld's report was
read in both houses Of congress to-
\ day. In the house 1t was received
with much applause. republicans and
democrats vieing in their demonstra-
tion OF approval. In the senate, on
( motion ,f Foraker. the message was
ordered to lie on the table. In making
the motion. Foraker said: 1T covers
4 nearly all the question under consid-
Grafton In connection with the pend
Ing bills "
The text of the message is a. fol-
lows:
"The Senate and House OF Represen-
j tatives: transmit herewith report
BY the commissioners Of the bureau OF
corporations In the department Of COM
merce and labor on the subject OF
transportation and freight rates In con-
nection with the oil industry. The in
,sxestigation the results OF part OF
Which are summarized in, this report,
was undertaken In accordance with
house resolution 4s9, passed February
Is, 1905 hut for the reasons given
in the report 1t has been more general
and extensive than was called for In
the resolution itself.
II call you especial attention to the
letter OF transmittal accompanying
and summarizing the report: for the
report is OF capital Importance in view
Of fsthe effort now being made to se-
cure such enlargement OF the powers
81 the interstate commerce. commits
sion, az will confer upon the commits
sion power In some measure adequate
IL to meet the clearly demonstrated
needs OF the situation. The facts set
B forth ii this report nre for the most
part not disputed. II Is only the In
4 ferehces from them that are disputed,
and even In this respect the dispute Is
! practically limited to the question as
"a whether the transa ctions are or are
& not Technically legal The report shows
that the Standard Gil Company has
4 penented enormously up almost to the
present moment by secret rates, many
Of these secret rates being clearly un-
lawful This benefit amounts to at
least three quarters Of a million q
year. This three quarters OF a million
represents the profit that the Stand
ard OIL Company obtains at the ex-
4 pense OF the railroads; but Of course
fheS ultimate result is that it obtains
4 much larger profit ut the expense OF
the public. "A very striking result OF
the Investigation has been that shortly
after the discovery OF these secret
rates by the commissioner Of corpora :
lions, the major portion Of them were
nromptly corrected by the railroads
20 that most of them have now been
anne away with. This immediate cor
Srection, partial or complete, OF the evil
sof the secret rates Is of course on .ne
one hand an acknowledgement that
},they were wrong, and yet We're per
severed in until exposed; and on the
other hand proof Of the efficiency Oh
the work that has been done by the
bureau OF corporations. The depart-
ment OF Justice will take up the ques-.
ton Of instituting prosecutions IN AZ
lleast certain Of the cases. But IT 10
most desirable to enact Into law the
Bill introduced by Senator Knox to
correct the Interpretation OF the Inn
munity provision rendered IN Judge
Humphreys' decision. The hands OF
the government have been greatly
strengthened In securing an efrectlvs
remedy by the recent decision OF the
supreme court in the case instituted
nv the government against the tobacco
trust. which decision permits the gov
ernment to examine the books AMI
records OF any corporation engaged IN
interstate commerce.; and by the re-
cent conviction and punishment OF the
chicago. Burlington & Quincy railroad
and certain Of its officers
Immense Profits.
4 ..But In addition to these secret rates
tthe STANDARD OIL profits immensely oy
Kopen rates, which are 80 arranged as
TO give 1t an Overwhelming advahtase
over It's Independent competitors. The
refusal OF the railroads in certain cases
to prorate produces analogous erects.
THUS in New England the refusal OF
scertain railway systems to prorate mas
S3resulted in keeping the Standard OIL
Tin absolute monopolistic control OF the
af1eN. enabling it to charge from three
1 to four hundred thousand dollars
year more to the consumers Of Oil IN
New England than they would have
had to pay had the price paid been that
apbtaining In the competitive fields.
This il d characteristic example OF the