The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1906-03-02
WASHINGTON.
Legislative and Gem
eraI Topics from
the Capital.
Feb. -. 1906.

Designating the pipe lines as
common carriers and placing hem
within the Jurisdiction otthe Inter
state Commerce Com mission is the
latest threat that has been made
( in the war of reformation to he
waged against the railroads. The
I location OF the warlil>e move in
4 he future terms is made advised
/ ~, There are all sorts of threats
I being made as to " hat Congress
is going to do to The railroads
with a view to bringing hem into
! liue and making them give all
shippers impartial tIcat ment.
/ Doubtless many members OF Con
gTe>S are sincere in this dptrrmi.
+ nation. But To Spe he plan really
carried ont would hp 50 foreign to
/ anything that has ever before been
7 done in the history of this country
/ that one may be pardoncd for hesl-
/ tatiug a bit before claSSi"g threat
! with execution. Many mem ers
! of Congress own stock in railroads.
More would like 10. Many mem
/ helS also have business interests
I that d. Il large though not a pre-
/ ponderatlug amount of shipping.
and all are nearly all mem barS
! ride on passes when they can get
them. There are ways of reach
ing a majority and IA very large
majorlty OF members and the rail
roads usually succeed in reaching
them before any important piece
of railroad legislation is conSum
4 mated
But the bill to declare the pipe
lines common carriers has already
been introduced by Mr. Rhinock,
an obscure member from Kentucky.
The term obscure is not used in an
offensive sense, but Mr.. Rhinock
l. one of the members who may
not be claSSed as house leader.
and his measure while undeniablN
just one. possibly will not meet
with the enthusiasm that would
have been accorded ii had if been
introduced by a mrmb Der who has
been more in the hnellght. The
member in question in DISCUSSING
his nilI says simply that the pipe
lines ale as much common carriers
aS the railroads aud they are the
oHN competitors of the railroads
with their tank cars and other
equipment. They tap all the oil
producing territory in the United
4 Std'eS and in the case of manV oil
wells that are tar Oft tie railroads.
they flu ni>h the only means of
transporting crude oil to re
. filming market. Now it is Known
OF C. ur>p that the pipe lines in the
past have declared themselves out
side the Interstate Commerce law
and have prtcticed all sorts of
oppression and discrimination.
They have been able to make or
! Kill auoll community. They have
been able to dictate the price at
which they would buy crude oil
from the well owners and the price
at which they would sell it to the
fetinerS. Thus they had both
ends Of the industry in their hands.
OF course the bulk Of the pipe
lines are owned or controlled by
the Standard Oil Company aud
the blow. II it Is a blow Will fall
on this great institution, to call
the monopoly by the best name
possible. II the Rhinock bill
goes through. and there is every
reason 10 say it ought and think
1t won't. the independent retinerS
and oil we'll owners will be given
the greatest possible aid in their
struggle for tXiStauce. The bill
Is only another move in what
looks an attempt to get fair and
open treatment for all shippers
and to prevent all profits # the
producer from being swallowed up
IN the attempt to get his com
modify on the market.
One Of the features of the pend
lug rate bill that the railroads
fear more than the actual fact of
rate regulation is according to
Congressman E>ch. of ESch- Town
send Bill fame, the publicity that
will attach to their business if the
Interstate Commerce Commission
IL really allowed to 90 after their
books and air a few facts about
their accounts. OF course there
are some features of every buSi
ness that may properly be regard
ed as trade secrets and some on
which the very success of the bust.
ness depends. But there is little
III the proposed publicity thar
will attach to the railroads that
any honest corporation ought to
fear. Yet the railroads do fear it
and they fear it, according to
Mr.. ESch because they know that
publicity as to many of their
practices will solidify the senti.
ment for strict governmental sup
ervistOn of their dealings with