The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-06-29
Tie Conference Report

Washington. June 26-When the
bill was taken up in the senate today
senator Elkins, h was one of the
senate conferees, spoke on the amend
hlent 10 the commodity provision us
ing Inc word railroads instead of
me rhrase common carriers. He gave
immediate attention 10 the contention
mat the change has the effect of elm
mating pipe lines from the require
inent OF the bill. He said that West
Virginia is the largest oil producer in
the union, and that the greater part
OF the oil Is sold TO The pipe line own
erS, so that the owners transport
their oil, and are not strictly speaking
common carriers. OF these carriers, ne
sand, the Oil company is by
lar the most extensive, but SO far as
he knew, 1t had not given offcnse 20
the people as Il transporter, whatever
IL might have lone in the matter OF
the liking of prices. He believed that
II the bill should become law as il
passed the senate II would greatly en-
barrass the Independent operators
Moreover. il would be an easy matte
FOR the Standard company to organize
both producing aud Transporting conf
panles. He declared that the effect
would be TO give the Standard an en-
tire monopoly of the oil business, and
utterly ruin many Independent oper-
ators.
Mr.. Long, of Kansas, spoke at some
length on the pipe line amendment,
and in doing so dealt with the Kansas
oil legislation. That state had declar-
ed pipe ines common carriers, as u
means of hitting the Standard conf
pany, but 1t had not had that effect
There had been no effort in Kansas
TO prohibit the pipe lines from trans
porting their own products, because IL
was known that he effort would be
disastrous TO the Independent oper-
atOrS.
Senator Clay made the point thai the
provision does not apply to pipe line
companies confined to the transporta-
ton of their Owl oil, but Mr.. Long con-
tended that the attempt was to make
common carriers Of all pipe lines.
Senator Tillman declared that tho
effect Of the system Of allowing the
pipe line companies to buy and trans
port oil must be to inevitably establish
a monopoly, and is necessarily in tho
interest of the Standard company.
Mr.. Long said hat in his own sec
ton the legislation would be especially
disastrous, because many Of the indie
pendent refineries of Kansas are Just
across the line from Indian Territory
where the richest oil wells are located,
making the transportation Of the oil
interstate commerce under the terms OF
the law.
enato Bailey thought Mr.. Long
unduly alarmed because the pipe lines
could not be considered as common car
riers unless they invoke the sovereign,
right Of eminent domain, but the Kan
Sas senator met the point by saying
that il would remain for the courts to
say whether this is true.
Senator Clapp could not accept the
theory that the proposed legislation
would injure the Independent compa-
MES. nor did he believe that the pro-
tests were uninfluenced by the Stand
ard company. He read a letter from
George F. Getty, Of Bartlesville. /. T.,
president Of the Minnehoma Oil Com
pany, in which the writer said that
he had been called into the local Office
Of the Standard company, and asked TO
forward telegrams of protest 10 sena-
tors and congressman, the Standard
agent supplying the form and voiun-
teering to pay the cost Of smission.
The senate decided by an almost
unanimous vote not TO accept the on
ference report. and 10 insist fur her
upon its amendments. Senators Till
man, Elkins and Cullom were reap
pointed conferees.