The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1906-02-20
TO PROBE OIL TRADE.
House Committee on Interstate
and Foreign Commerce In
Favor of Inquiry.
TRAFFIC IN COAL INCLUDED

Investigation to Include Alleged Illegal
Practices of Standard Oil In Kansas.
Senate Passes Ship Subsidy Bill.
Giant Job to Defraud indians Of Coal
Lands Disclosed.
Members of the house committee on
interstate and foreign commerce agreed
on drag net resolution, which, If
adopted by the house, as is most likely,
will secure an investigation of rail-
roads charged with violating the inter-
state commerce law or any law in the
traffic in coal and oil.
The interstate commerce commission
ordered an investigation of Standard
Oil affairs in Kansas, and Representa-
tive Campbell (Kan.) introduced res
olution in the house directed to the
same end.
! The investigation will include the
connection of Paul Morton's old road,
the Santa Fe, with the rebates and
other alleged suppressive practices of
/ the Standard OIL in combination with
railroads.
Senator Perkins (Cal) and Senator
Patterson (Colo.l in presenting petitions
against Senator Reed Smoot (Utah),
who is charged with unfolding polyg
amy, declared their intention of sup
porting the accused senator.
The house passed bill making gam
bling unlawful in Arizona, New Mex
leo. Oklahoma, Indian Territory and
Alaska.
The house of representatives has
passed bill to Increase TO $4,000 a
year the federal appropriation to each
state and territory for the support of
agricultural experiment stations.
The senate listened to a speech by
Mr.. Dick in support of the bill as re-
ported to the committee on terri
tories fayoring the consolidation of
Arizona and New Mexico as one state
and Oklahoma and Indian Territory as
another.
The senate committee ON commerce
by vote of 6 to agreed to an amend
ment increasing the membership of the
Interstate commerce commission to
nine members. President Roosevelt is
said in talks with senator's and mem
bers of the house to have expressed
himself in favor Of the Hepburn rate
bill, passed by the house
Two or three hundred women mem
bers of the National Equal Suffrage
association gathered to make their an
nual plea to the senate committee on
woman suffrage for the right to exer-
else the franchise.
The senate voted finally on the subsidy
shipping bill, which was passed by a
vote of 80 to 81 All the votes for the
bill were by Republican senators. and
five Republican senators voted with
the Democrats in opposition.
AS passed. the shipping bill estab.
fishes thirteen new contract mail lines
and increases the subvention to the
oceanic line running from the Pacific
coast The bill also grants subvention
at the rate of 50 per gross ton per
year to cargo vessels engaged in the
foreign trade of the United States and
at the rate of $3.50 per ton to vessels
engaged in the Philippine trade. the
Philippine coastwise law being post
poned until 1909.
Another feature of the bill is that
creating a naval reserve force of TO-
600 officers and men, who are to re-
ceive retainers after the British prac-
tice. Vessels receiving subsidies are
required to carry a certain proportion
Of naval reserve men among their
crews. The aggregate compensation
for mail lines is about S5,000,000 an
nually. No steam vessel of less than
1000 tons is to receive aid under the
bill.
The house adopted Mr.. Suffers res
olution inquring of the secretary Of
the treasury when the government ex-
ecuted a deed for the old custom house
property in New York to the National
City bank, where the deed is and in
whose custody 1t has been since its
execution and why 1t has never been
recorded
The Chickasaw and Choctaw Indians
stood to lose perhaps S500,O00000 by
a proposition before the senate commit
tee on foreign affairs. Senator La Fol
lette unearthed the alleged job.
1t was proposed to sell 100000 acres
of coal land belonging to these Indians
at $6 am acre. According to Senator
Clark Of Montana, an expert on mining
property, the lands are worth $4,000
600 now aud will be worth $500,000,000
in ten years. President Roosevelt is
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