The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-02-14

roads and some of the other interests
that the Interstate Commerce Com
mission have dashed or may in the flu
ture give embarrassments, are begin
ming to make a systematic attempt
to strike back.
They are beginning a campaign to
discredit he work of the Commits
sion. Watch the campaign. Note
down the fact that one group of rail
roads has secretly employed a man
to vitate the impression of the Com
mission given by the press to the
people, note that a railroad associa-
ton with headquarters in Chicago has
begun to issue screeds containing III
situations that the Commission is
not efficient, that it is careless of its
accuracy of the facts which it gath
ers and publishes.
Vicious Criticism.
Note, too, that an organized attack
has been lately LAUNCHED on the sec
rotary, Mr.. M~oseley, who has in his
the safety appliance law, and the in
vestigation aimed at securing devic-
es, which when put into compulsory
use by Congress will lessen your
chances of being hashed in a rail
road wreck. Remember the growL
ing and swapping that went UP be-
cause the Commission as an incident
to it's Investigations opened the loo
that led to the exposure of the frauds
in Wyoming and other Western tates
of the Standard Oil monopoly, of the
coal trust, of the grain business.
There is a strange ~viciousness in
the criticism that the Commission has
been delving outside of it's own field
in developing testimony which does
not Immediately concern carriers. The
testimony was incidental to the hear
ings, and it was valuable to the gov
eminent. Perhaps the enemies of the
Commission did not like the direct
manner in which the latter got the
facts and spread them out to the pub
lie gaze. Perhaps the Commissioners
speak too plainly.
They do speak plainly. Last week
they sent to Congress a report On the
relation of the railroads to the pro-
duction and distribution of oil. The
evidence shows" says the report, Tit
tie basis for the contention that the
enormous dividends of the Standard
Oil Company are the legitimate re-
suit of it's economies. Except for pipe
ines the Standard has little legiti-
mate advantage over the independent
dard Oil interest buys advertising
space in many newspapers which it
fills with reading matter prepared by
its agents to appear as regular ews
lrritated interests.
And again, sit has paid employees
of Independent dealers for i1forma-
ton as to the competitive business
and again, lit has tempered with the
oil inspectors in different states" and
the ruin of it's competitors has been
a distinct part of its policy" AID
again, local agents of railroads have
been in the employ of the Standard
and again, 1.-The competitive methods
of the company in the past have been
unfair and even disreputable. Its mo-
to has been the destruction of com
petition at any cost, and it's policy has
been pursued without much refer
ence to decency or conscience"
A day or two after this report there
came the report on the railroad dis
ordinations and ~monopolies in coal
covering the bituminous fields east
statement of facts as was the oil re-
port, and its conclusions were as po-
sitive, and it's recommendations as to
remedy as sure-footed.
This kind of plain going is irrita-
ting to those interests in the country
which prefer to operate underground.
The separation of the pipeline indus
try from the oil producing industry.
making the former a common carrier
which is the remedial pill offered by
dard Oil evils, is a hard dose for the
Standard Oil ring to swallow.
Railroads do not wish it known
that accidents might be lessened by
further expenditure on safety systems
that Mr.. Hills car shortage might be
partially eliminated, such cries for sup
plies as are coming from storm bound
Dakota, stilled if less melons were cut
AID more of the secretly stored as
sets we're put out il improvements;
Mr.. Hartman does not court investi-
CATION Or desire the Commerce Com
missions attempt to analyze his rail-
road domain should receive much
weight. Therefore it is to be expec-
ted that the coming months will
bring an active campaign of abuse
directed against the Commissions ac-
tiyities.
Watch Them Strike Back.
A part-of that campaign has already