Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-03-14
s. D. PIPE LINES
ON R|GAT-0F.WAY
Gen'I Freight Agent Of the Santa
Fe Railway Admits the
Fact.
BUT HOW DID IT HAPPEN?
In Kansas Roads Don't Fight Rates
Because of Public Agi-
tation.

Kansas City, March ,4.--Half a doz-
en- witnesses were still TO be examined
when the Interstate commerce commits
sion resumed its hearing here today in
the charges of rate discrimination made
by the Kansas Oil Producers associa-
ton.
j. r. Koontz, general freight agent
Of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe
railway, the first witness, was asked
by Mr.. Marchand, attorney for the COM
mission;
Are the pipe lines of the Standard
OIL company upon the right Of way of
the Santa Fe railway"
Yes sir, they are for distance east
of Sugar Creek, (Kansas CltyJ to a
point somewhere In Illinois, where they
branch off West of Sugar Creek the
pipe line is upon the right Of way of
the Southern Kansas division of the
Santa Fe for d considerable distance.
How did the Standard OH company
get this right of way
Il do not know. That Is matter
with which | do not come in contact"
Mr., koontz was questioned about the
meeting of traffic managers of different
railways In ST. Louis I'm June, 1904, at
which the oil rate east from Kansas
points was raised from ten cents to
seventeen cents a hundred pounds. He
said that he was at that meeting. lie
did not know who called it.
i was notified by Mr.. German, our
freight traffic manager continued Mr..
KoontZ TO represent the Santa Fe at
that meeting"
Did he give you any instructions 2"
None ut all
Mr.. Koontz said that MIR. Bogardus,
traffic manager of the Standard Oil
company, was AT the meeting.
Who invited Mr., Bogardus7" was
asked
II do not know
Was any record kept Of the proceed
ings Of that meeting
mo, sir"
Mr. Koontz. cross examined by
Thomas X. Morrow, attorney for the
plaintiff, was asked.
Are the oil freight reights estab-
lished by the Kansas legislature COM
pensatory2'
Il do not so consider them"
How do the railroads look upon
them2"
"As arbitrarily established without
the railroads having been given a
chance to be heard, II was an effort
on the part Of the legislature to meet
the scale IN force In Texas with this
difference, that while the Kansas
rate is the same as the Texas rate
upon crude and fuel oil, 1t is much
lower than the Texas rate upon all the
products of petroleum, such as keroseh,
and gasoline
why has there been no assault by
the railroads upon the Kansas rate2'
Mr., Koontz was asked.
Largely in Difference to public senti-
ment," replied the witness.
The officials of the Santa Fe and I
think Of other Kansas roads. think that
the Kansas rates would have been con-
tested long before this, but in view of
the agitation and infiamed condition
Of the public mind the policy Of the
railroads has been to submit quietly
TO the unreasonable rates forced upon
them by the legislature of Kansas"
There has been great deal of agi-
tatlon both In the press, at political
meeting and one way and another
Yes, and because Of this the rail-
roads decided TO submit for the pres
emit
Mr. Koontz said that the raising OF
the rate at the ST. Louis meeting was
made necessary by trade conditions
and the action was not taken to harass
any one or at the behest OF anyone
interest, or to benefit one interest 10 the
detriment Of any other.