The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1906-05-11
HAULS STANDARD
OIL over Goals
PRESIDENT EXPOSES METHODS
OF BIG CORPORATION IN
MESSAGE TO CONGRESS.
Investigation Conducted by Commits
sioner Garfield Reveals That Its
Officials Are Taking Rebates in
Defiance of the Law.

Defiance of the Law.
Washington. May 5.-The anxiously
awaited message of President Roose-
welt, accompanying a portion of the
report on the investigation of the
giant Standard Oil trust which has
been conducted under the auspices of
the department of commerce and la
Dor, which was sent to congress Fri
day, arrigns the corporation and it's
officials for taking rebates in defiance
of the ElkinS act, and points the way
for legislation that will clip the wings
of the Rockefeller combination to
some extent
Message Hits Mark.
That the broadside from the White
House hit it's mark was shown by a
sweeping statement of denial given
out by the standard officials in New
York, in which the administration in
dictment is called unjust and untruth-
full, the business methods of the COM
bine are defended and there are light
ly yelled sneers at the presidents &C
tivity in generously offering advice on
a wide range of subjects from race
suicide to affairs of state.
A happening that followed the sub
mission of the presidents message and
Commissioner Garfield's report so
| quickly as to make it seem the work
of sudden inspiration through the dis
| closures made was the unanimous
adoption by the senate of an amend
ment to the pending bill to regulate
railroad rates which makes oil pipe
! lines common carriers and subject to
| the provisions of the interstate COM
! merce law
1t is aimed directly at the Standard
Oil company, and the day after it was
presented by Senator Lodge an agent
of that company called upon the Mas
| sachusetts senator and used all his
persuasive powers to show that it's
adoption would be a very bad thing.
Secret Rebates.
The Standard Oil company has ha-
bitually received from the railroads
and is now receiving secret rates and
other unjust and illegal discrimina-
| tions. The company is receiving unjust
determinations in open rates. In one
| year-1904-it has been discovered
that the company saved about $780,
600, and there is no telling how much
| more was Saved in the same chan
nels which was not discovered.
John d. Rockefeller's personal in.
come, computing on the generally un-
derstood basis of his share of control
in the Standard Oil corporation, has
been enhanced at least 100000 year
through the illegal combination be.
tween his company and the railroads.
These are the essential facts shown
by Commissioner Garfield's report on
| transportation and freight rates with
respect to petroleum.
Commission Powerless.
Failure to give to the interstate
commerce commission Affirmative
power through which it might regu.
late railroad rates and prevent dis
ordinations is assigned by the presi.
dent as the reason why the injustice
In the operations of the Standard Oil
company has been allowed to continue
and the flagrancy of this injustice fur.
nishes one of the strongest arguments
yet developed for the speedy enact
ment of the rate legislation now pend.
ing in congress.
The president believes, however
that legislation along other lines also
is needed in the face of the exposures
made, and he thinks much might be
accomplished by the passage of the
bill to relieve alcohol used in the arts
from the payment of revenue tax.
The president urges also that oil
and coal lands still held by the gov.
eminent or owned by the Indian
tribes shall not be alienated.
Report Is Incomplete.
Startling as the report of Commits.
sioner Garfield is in relation to multi.
tudinous facts, it presents only small
part of the discoveries made in con.
nection with the investigation of
Standard and the biggest sensations
are likely to follow later reports deal
ing with law breaking and evil prac.
tees in other fields.
! 1t is known that much wrongdoins
has been unearthed outside of illegal
combinations between the Standard Oil
company and leading railroad com
panies, but the subject is so big that
it has been found necessary to let the
results of the investigation filter out
a little at a time.