Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-08-09
By Time Government Has Lid
Put on Railway Privileges
Will Be Safe
OWN SYSTEM TO THE PACIFIC
Plans Being Pushed for Transcontin-
entaI Line Owned by the Octopus
!, Montana Finds Federal Report Only
Hall the Truth-standard Controls
/ tho Situation.


perations, on the Standard Oil Com
pany, relative to transportation, did not
cover a wider scope. For what
profiteth II the people of the country
para phrased one may here today, ito
reveal that Standard Oil was built up
on railroad discrimination and rebates
when Standard Oil is at this very time
covering the country with railroad sys-
TENS Of its own?"
1t is probable that in no other state
Of the union are the operations Of the
Standard Oil Company more widely
diversified or better understood than
In Montana. Here that company is
found engaged in mining, numbering,
general merchandising railroading and
SO on, thru Its various branches and
subordinate companies And here it ISL
they say that to stop railroad rebating
to the giant octopus at this time, with
out also driving it out of the field of
railroad ownership, will be simply
water on the Standards wheels.
Aim at Transcontinental.
Never before in the history Of the
country, and probably never before in
the world, has there been such another
example of expedition in railroad con-
struction as that now being unfolded
before the astonished eyes Of the west
by the Standard Oil people. So re-
1narkabie is the progress being made
that it is altogether likely that within
three years from the time the railroad
rate bill went into effect the Standard
oil crowd will be in possession of a
complete transcontinental system, run
ming from ocean to ocean, and thru its
side lines and collateral systems afford
ing access to the cream of the oil con-
Stunning portions of the United States.
The Chicago, Milwaukee, & st. Paul
railroad is here stated to be the
nucleus. or central germ, of the Stand
ards railroad operations. This system,
as everybody knows, gridirons the best
portions Of the central west, being
especially strong in northern Illinois.
Wisconsin, northern Michigan, Iowa,
Minnesota and South Dakota. AT this
time a new line is being pushed across
to the Pacific following the general
course Of the Northern Pacific and run |
ming for many hundred miles within
sight of the trains of the latter road.
Grading for the road is being hurried
all along the route. Riding across the
continent on the Northern Pacific the
traveller sees a continuous line OF camps
from which the Standard Oil grading
crews are working in both directions,
and SO rapidly is the task being con-
5summated that by Jan. ! the roads
crack train. the Pioneer Limited, will
he running into this city. whereas at
smresent 1t comes no nearer than Min
neanolis. EARLY in 1909 it is promised
to make It's terminal In Seattle.
It Will Fight Rebates.
Rut the octopus could hardly have
made such strides in building the road |
AZ Il were not for it's manifold interests, |
all Of which that were capable Of do
ing anything being called upon. Thus
in some portions of the west the Stan
dard Oil crowd is the leading saWmill
and lumber operator, and SO its mills
have been ordered to furnish the ties
and bridge ti1nbers and other wood ma
terial needed. The bridge timbers fer
all of the line, from its eastern end to
Butte. have been provided, and as the |
five cars Of ties 9 day. for the past
year or more, 1t is likely that there Will
be no shortage in this material, either
when the laying of rails begins. AS
for the rails, the steel trust has been
laying by supply for so long that IT
is Said to have enough on hand for the
entxs road from Minnesota to Sc
attic.
1t will thus be perceived that by the
time the government gets ready to put
the screws to the Standard Oil, it will
be provided, thru this western system
and the roads in the east which it has |
bought, as well as by its pipe lines, to
serve the major portion Of the country
with oil and there is not the least
doubt here that the Standard will /
presently be found the most strenuous
opponent of rebates In the country. In
deed it is the common belief In this
state that the Standard will not only !
be against railroad rebates, but that 1t
will stand for the maximum rate on
oils. no matter whose oils are shipped. |
For the slaughter of conn etitors re-
bates are not necessary when you own |
the railroad over which your competi-
tor has to send his goods, or if you can
have uniformly high rates on all roads
for everybody and can ship your own |
goods on your own roads. What mat
tiers it whether the profits are made on
freights or on oils so long as they come |
into the octopus pocket anyway?
Has Wide Monopoly.
There is fine field here in this |
western country. also, for the federal |
government to satisfy itself as to the |
ultimate end of things if the Standard !
Oil crowd is permitted to go ahead and !
work its will in the acquisition of
business monopolies and public util-
tiles. Here in Montana there is scarce
ly a line of business carrying a profit
in which the Standard people are not |
engaged on big scale. Mining is their |
leading pursuit of course, but they also
follow railroading numbering. banking I
and general retail and wholesale trade. |
In Hamilton Mont, which is the seat |
of Ravalli county and the center of the
great fruit interests of the Bitter Root
valley. the Standard Oil people have a
store which sells anything
from a lace collar to a horse collar, or
from a sewing machine to a sawmill.
! said to the manager of the institu-
ton:
at must be rather rough on the 9TH
er retail merchants of this place to
have such great store here run BY