Los Angeles herald., 1906-05-05

to add the sentence 'of course there
may be other secret rates which the
bureau has not discovered
IN dealing with the determinations
which are TO be violations OF the in
terstate commerce law, the plain an
swer Is that II Mr. Gardeld's statement
Is correct It was the duty of the inter-
state commerce commission to have
taken action and brought not alone the
STANDARD OIL company but the rail-
roads Involved. 70 book, and this they
have never done
Mr. Garfield's claim that by the use
OF low interstate rates the Standard
OIL company gained an unfair advan-
tage IS equally unfortunate. At great
expense we constructed pipe lines
from the Pennsylvania and Ohio oil
fields and from the Kansas and In
dian territory fields to Whiting.
IL our competitors did not do the
same thing shall Il be said that any
one Is unfair who does not give them
the advantage of this enterprise of
ours?
1T is quite true that, having our oil
at Whiting and desiring to transport
II to points in the interior of Illinois,
we used the state rates.
Regarding Private Cars
ANVSpttNiiik lnc use Oh private tHIS
OF which MIR. Garfield makes much, it
is only necessary to make answer
In his own words
He says that owing to tile relative
ly slow movement of the oil cars i'm the
petroleum oil trade the mileage allow
ance Of rental does not appear to re-
suit in an excessive profit to the pri-
vate tank car owner.
ut is asserted over and over again
in the report that the Standard Oil
company profited by secret and 'un-
lawful freight rates. Yet in the same
connection it is admitted that the re-
port that all of these rates are COW
cred by tariffs filed with the interstate
commerce commission precisely as the
law provides cannot be either secret
or unlawful
1.-THE presidents message complains
of the way that the law is evaded by
treating as state commerce what is
in reality merely part of interstate
commerce although the forms
of the law may be complied with, yet
this very method of making a through
rate by a combination of two separate
state rates has been held by the inter-
state commerce commission as lawful
and proper.
Competition Growing
Inc statement thal the STANDARD
Oil company has largely by unfair
and unlawful methods crushed out
home competition is fully answered by
the fact that home competition has al
ways existed is steadily growing, and
that there are now at least 1875 COM
petitive refineries in the United States.
"As to the claim that changes in the
rate have been made since the COM
missioners' recent work began, all the
Standard Oil company has to say is
that such changes have been made
without it's suggestion or efforts.
Will Arouse Amusement
"The grief which the president ex-
presses in his message over the in
ability of the roads to combine and
protect themselves from the shippers
Will probably arouse amusement.
The president says respecting this
investigation that the facts are not in
dispute, only the differences are dis
puted The Standard Oil company
furnished the facts and man with a
muck rakes rug out such mud as in
his manipulation he felt would prove
damaging.
"The STANDARD Oil company has been
investigated over and over again at
the instigation of its rivals, and it al
ways welcomes such Investigations
when conducted in good faith and fair
ly.
I'VE are engaged in large and hon
orable business. We are conducting
it honorably and we sincerely believe
in conformity to law"