The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-09-27
HASKELL SKINS
THE PRESIDENT
Oklahoma Governor Makes Di-
rect Charges Against Roose-
welt Administration.
ALSO SMELLS OF KEROSENE
FACTS REGARDING PRAIRIE OIL
& GAS COMPANY.

Kansas City, Sept. Ex-Governor Charles
N. Haskell. passing through this city to-
night on his way from Chicago to Guth-
RE gave to the Associated Press letter
addressed to President Roosevelt defend
ing Haskelrs attitude toward the Prairie
Oil & Gas company and assailing the
president for granting before statehood d
franchise in Indian Territory for a Stand
ard Oil pipe line at the request of Sen
ator chauncey NJ Depew.
You know writes Haskell. that Sem
ator Depew was the greatest Standard Oil
agent in the senate -
Governor Haskelrs letter says:
In regard to the Prairie Oil & Gas COM
pany oil pipe line franchise in Oklahoma,
1t Is said that the secretary of the interior
granted this franchise before statehood:
that the federal court would prevent our
state interference and that We are COM
PEELED to treat IL as we find the grant,
and that hence 1 properly dismissed the
suit brought by our attorney general with
out my approval.
President Accused.
"Ex-Secretary Hitchcock says he did
not grant any franchise. Secretary Gar
field says he did. but that the states
power Is not in any way limited to con-
troll 1t and that am quibbling- The press
in hearing that company's application for
the franchise In the year 1904 three years
before statehood). hasitated about grant
ing II, whereupon Senator Depew and
others went over Hitchcock's head 10
you, Mr.. President. and got an order 10
the secretary 10 make the grant TO the
company.
The Prairie Oil & Gas company was
a Kansas corporation. and under that
franchise at once built its main line from
Kansas down about 100 miles into Indian
Territory, now the state OF Oklahoma,
and began and still continues operation.
lines to assemble oil from wells into the
main line, three such laterals being laid to
the nearby wells now in question. Now
statehood found this foreign corporation,
with its vested rights under the interior
department grant, embracing an inter-
state property.
Cannot Ignore Grant.
Mr.. President, can we ignore your
grant and tear up that line under state
authority? You know we can't. VIII
domestic corporation come in now with
that interstate line existing and parallel
1t to the same wells? Certainly not. no
more than new state railroad would
build parallel with an existing interstate
road to carry an amount of grain produc-
ton not ample for both. Who wants an
additional lateral line in this instance?
The owners of that cluster of wells who
produce the oil and must market II or
go to bankruptcy? The land owners who
want their royalties? The laborers who
want employment? The local merchants
whose trade depends on production and
sale of numerous small producers. We
would all like to see this company take
out domestic charter. Our attorney gen
eral brought suit to prevent it laying the
additional lateral line until II should DO
mesticate. The oil pipe company said:
"'All right, stop US. Mr.. Attorney Gen
eraL If you wish we can wait But our
citizens ahOVa n
pealed to me in their distres.i saw that
our people were the only sufferers and
that we could not compel The old pipe
line to domesticate and l stopped the case.
and for this reason. Mr.. President. you say
have been corrupted to aid the oil pipe
cOmDanV' -