The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-09-28
PRAIRIE OIL CASE.
Statement Issued by Assistant Attorney
General Woodruff.

Washington, Sept. 2S-President
Roosevelt had planned to issue another
statement regarding Hearst's STAN
dard Oil exposures until he learned
that Judge George W. Woodruff as
sistant attorney general, had already
made a public statement along that
line. 1t was then announced at the ex-
ecutive office that the president would
let Judge Woodruff's statement stand
for the present
The statement of Judge woodruff's
is in response to Governor HaskeT's
public charge that the president insist
ed upon granting a franchise to the
Prairie Oil and Gas company and that
all Haskell did TO favor the company
was necessary to comply with the law
Judge Woodruff's statement was
made after the records of the interior
department had been fully examined.
The statement is as follows:
with reference to the recent con-
tention about Governor HaskelTs ac-
ton in the case of the Prairie Oil and
homa and the action of Secretary
Hitchcock and Secretary Garfield con-
corning the pipe line privileges to
that same company, will state briefly
and definitely without argument of
any kind, the exact points at issue and
as they are known, from the records
of the department of the interior.
Woodrufrs Statement.
Congress, on March II, 1904. passed
a law providing for the granting of
pipe line privileges in the then Indian
territory, now a part of the state of
Oklahoma
The secretary of the interior, as he
is always obliged to do when any law
is passed affecting his department, is
sued. April u. the rules and regula-
tions to effectuate that law.
THE Prairie Oil and Gas company ap-
piled even before the regulations were
promulgated, for a pipe line privilege,
and after most careful consideration
Mr. Hitchcock, in letter which is and
always has been a public document,
found it had complied fully with the
law and his rules. and therefore, April
IA approved its maps of location foc
pipe line which it proceeded to build
and which. by the by, has been able to
furnish means of transportation to
millions of barrels of oil from Okla
homa.
1T is absolutely impossible to find
any paper memorandum or letter of
record in connection with the granting
OF this pipe line privilege which shows
that President Roosevelt had anything
whatever to do with it.
1T is extremely proba BILE that in the
course of a new law involving a mo-
mentous question like this one. Secre-
tary Hitchcock conferred with the
president before issuing his rules and
regulations.
THAT is the custom, and a very
proper custom, 1 know. of Secretary
Garfeld's in all cases of new and inn
portant legislation Such conferences
may possibly have led to a misunder-
standing from which Governor Has
keIrs claim that the president ordered
Mr.. Hitchcock to grant the privilege
may have arisen l haven't the slight
est doubt that there were no orders
of any description and the best evil
dence of this is the telegram from Mr.
Hitchcock in which he says that a
statement of that kind is an absolute
falsehood- He. of course. knows better
chan anybody else
In Accordance With Law.
ITO resume then Mr. Hitchcock
and later Mr.. Garfield. in allowing the
extension of the line last April. acted
directly in accordance with the law.
Governor HaskeIIs action. how
ever, was on the face of it at least
exactly the contrary. as will be seen
by noting the following facts:
The constitution OF Oklahoma