Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-05-18
GARFlELD'S REPORT.
President Serbs It to Congress, To-
aether With Message.

Washington. MAY 17.-President ROOSe
Welt today transmitted to Congress the
complete report Of James K. Garfield,
commissioner Of corporations. Of the in
Vestigation which ne made into the opera
tons Of the alleged oil trust a full
synopsis Of the report, accompanied by
message from the President dealing with
the facts developed by the inquiry. was
sent to Congress on Friday, the 4th inst.
Comments on the message and reports
We're made by Standard Oil Co. and by
officials of several systems of railroad.
In submitting to the President the full
report of his inquiry, Commissioner Gar
field wrote a letter to him inviting his at
tention to some Of the published COM
ments on the oil report attributed to GER
tain railway officials and representatives
of the oil trust. That letter was made
public today by direction of the Presi-
dent. although it was not sent to Con-
sress with Mr.. Garfield's report An cpl
tome of Commissioner Garfield's letter is
as fellows:
MIR. Tuttle president of the Boston G
Maine, IS reported TO have sail: The
Boston & Maine Railroad for years ex-
cept in certain sparscly settled sections
Of the country, has joined with roads on
which oil traffic originates in through
rates, and every shipper and receiver Of
oil has been treated exactly alike
"As shown in Chapter 3 of the report
| the Boston & Maine states, in n letter
to the bureau, that the road does not
prorate on a portion of its system. giving
a list Of 39i stations affected. Some of
the cities to which that road does not
prorate are Lowell, Lynn. Lawrence and
TIav nrhill. Mass: Portland. Me-, and
Portsmouth. n. II. These cannot proper
~ be termed the 'sparsely settled por-
TONS"
Mr.. Thayer, vice president of the Penn
sylvania Railroad, is reported to have
said regarding the special rate fr0r Olean
| to Rochester that the traffic to be trans
ported under such rate was crude oil and
unfinished products moving from one re-
finery to another, belonging to the same
! owners; that the rate has not been with
drawn that perhaps the rate was ap-
piled on refined oil in a few instances, in
significant as compared with the total
| traffic. and the wording of the tariff was
corrected that 1T is not a secret rate and
never has been secret
The rate of nine cents q barrel was
| issued some year ago, was reissued and
approved by ]. r. Thaver, Jr on March
10. 1892, and applied to petroleum pro-
ducts This tariff did not confine the
shipments to crude oil or unfinished pro-
ducts. More than 1000 cars of ilIuminat-
| ing oil, gasoline and other finished oil
products were shipped in 1904 on this rate
| from Oleln to Rochester or on the cor
| responding rate of 10 cents per barrel to
Buffalo. A large portion of the states Of
| New York and Vermont were supplied in
| this way. This rate was unknown to in
dependent shippers, and there were
printed at the top of the rate order. in
capital letters and UNDERSIGNED, the
| words mot to he posted
Mr.. Garfield adds:
Mr.. Rogers and Mr. Archbold, officers
Of the Standard Oil Co. are quoted as
saying: If the New England roads ought
| to IrOrate but refuse to do So Ii must
occur to someone somewhere that per-
haps the New England roads and not the
Standard Oil CO. are blameable.'
AS shown in Chapter 2 of the report,
the Standard Oil Co. for years has enor-
nouSly benefited by the refusal of New
| England roads to prorate, and repre-
& Hartford system states that the Stand
| ard oil CO. wanted the road not to PRO
rate"