The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-03-13
POOR kANSANS
WERE SHUT OUT
Story of the Raise of Railway Rates
on the Independent Oil
Producers.
SOME STRONG TESTIMONY
INQUIRY WAS ORDERED BY CON-
GRESS.

Kansas City March 12.-ActlnS up
on resolutions passed. by both houses
of congress, the three members Of the
interstate commerce commission be-
gan an investigation today in the
charges made by independent pro-
ducers of Kansas that the railroads Of
Kansas discriminate in favor of the
Standard Oil company in the matter
of oil rates outside that state. The
railroads involved are the Santa Fe.
the Missouri Pacific, the Missouri
Kansas & Texas, the st. Louis and
san Francisco, the Rock Island, the
Union Pacific, the Kansas City South
ern and the Burlington. The MEM
bers of the interstate commerce COM
mission who will make the investiga-
ton are Francis NJ. COckrel, Judson
c. Clements and Charles a Prouty.
John T Marsh, who has been in the
southwest for the past two weeks
making A preliminary investigation OF
the producers charges. was present
today as the attorney for the commit
tee Frank s. Monet, former attor-
ney' general of Ohio, and Clifford
Thorne of Washington. Ia, were pres
ent as counsel for the independent
producers. The railways In the state
had representatives at the investiga-
tfon. and there were several interest
ed spectators Among the latter was
e D. Chamberlain of cleveland o,
secretary of the National Petroleum
association, comprising independent
refr ers of Ohio and Pennsylvania. He
said he was here to watch the pro-
ceedings I'm the interests of his assO-
citation.
Filed Charges With Garfield.
The agitation for the investigation
began today was started some time
aeo when Clifford ThOrne, acting up
on behalf Of the Kansas Oil PrOdUc-
prs' association. filed with James r.
Garfield. commissioner of corpora
tions at Washington. statement IN
which Instances of alleged discrimina-
ton against the Independents i'm the
matter of rates were made. This state
ment said in part
Your petitioners firmly believe that
no class of shippers in the United
States today are more directly affected
by interstate rates than the independ-
enf oil men by reason Of the fact that
their competition controls many great
railroad systems and owns lines form
ing network over the American ma
ton. rendering them practically indie
pendent of the freight rates they es-
rabIish for their rivals to pay. By
means Of a remarkable manipulation
of Interstate freight rates the Stand
ard OIL company is endeavOrfng to
crush all competition from the Kansas
oil fields to points outside OF the state
of Kansas. Today you can shin the
same quantity of oil 100 miles in Kan
saS for the same price that you can
shin it five miles Of those five miles
happened to he over the state line
While members of the producers as
sociation and officials win be chief
witnesses. the interstate commerce
commission has invited "ali persons.
firms. companies or associations hav-
ing any interest in the proceedings,
10 appear to produce and crOss-eX-
anime witnesses
Tt IS expected that the hearing viii
last through Wednesday
The First Witness.
\ F. Robertson of Cherryvale. Kan.
was 2 witness examined. Mr.. Rob
ertson was formerly a newspaper cor
respondent. is now a member Of the
Kansas oil Producers association,
which makes the charges of discrim-
ination.
Mr.. Robertson's testimony brought
out an interesting story of the Kan
sas oil field. Mr. Robertson said that
he was 4 member of the Uncle Sam
oil company, which is affiliated with
the producers association. He said
that the Standard Oil company. the
Prairie Oil and Gas company, and the
Republic Oil companies were not
members of the Kansas Oil Producers
association, known as the independ-
,ats. Mr. Robertson said that oil was
discovered I'm Kansas in paying guam
titles i'm 1893. The production then
was 200 barrels a day, The Standard
and its affiliated companies, the wit
ness said. produce only LOCO to 1,500