Los Angeles herald., 1908-10-01
ASKS ROOSEVELT
ABOUT COMBINE
TIMELY QUESTIONS ARE PRO-
POUNDED BY ANGELEN0
POOLING AGREEMENT VIOLATES
SHERMAN ACT
Why Have Republicans Ignored South
ern Paciflc-Santa Fe Compact,
In Existence for Past
Twelve Years?

Adam Dixon Warner mailed to
President Roosevelt yesterday q let
ter of inquiry regarding the Southern
Pacific-Santas Fe pooling agreement
which in these days of political re-
elimination will make interesting read
ing whether the president answers the
inquiries or not.
Mr.. Warmers letter follows:
LOS ANGELES, CAL, Sept. 20, 1908.
"Hon. Theodore Roosevelt, president OF
the limited States, White House,
Washington, D. G.
"Dear Sir-I enclose you herewith a
copy of the contract, or pooling agree
merlt' between the Southern California
Railway company (Which is the santa
Fe system), and the Southern Paclhc
company, of which E. H. Hartman Is
president. ,,
"This agreement, as you will see,
bears date the 1st of June, 1896, and is
signed on behalf of the Southern Cali
fornia Railway company by Paul Nor
ton. second vice president, and on pe-
half of the Southern Pacific company
by J. c. Stubbs, third Vice president.
"It is needless to say that TINS con
tract has been In effect ever since tne
first day of June, 1896, and Is still IN
effect, in plain violation or the pro
vision of the Sherman law, which is
now. and has been in force for nearly
twenty-five years.
"You have been president OF the
United States for seven years. your
predecessor, whose policies you carried
inducted into Office nine months after
the signing of. this contract. That
this contract was, and always has
been a pooling agreement, In vlola-
tion of law, has been publicly known
by you and your administrator ana
the one preceding 1t, and the entire
people of the country during all this
time.
"The Paul Morton who signed this
contract you afterwards placed IN
your cabinet, and for several years ne
held a cabinet position.
"You say in, your letter TO Mr. Bryan
that you and your administration nave
destroyed number of trusts.
"Will you explain to the American
neople what action you have ever
taken to destroy this pooling agree
ment-one of the greatest, most far-
reaching and vicious trusts IN Amer
lea? And one that costs the people OF
California $25,O00000 annually. In ex-
cessive freight rates?
ain addition to this, will you explain
to the American people why hundreds
of thousands of acres of worthless
lands held by those companies tnat
were included in the San Jaclnto ana
other western forest reserves Qands
| that were and are absolutely worth
| less) have been exchanged for nun
| dreds OF thousands of acres or the
most valuable timber lands in Oregon
and California, to the advantage ano
henef1t of these railroad corporations
of hundreds of millions OF dollars?
"And whether or not that transac-
ton had anything to do with Mr.: Har-
riman's subscription and donation "a
the New York campaign fund or $z6S:
| 900 at your request-and Mr.. Harri-
mans later donation of $250,000 more
checks for which he exhibited In New
York to the New York Herald, I'M
mediately after your pretended railing
out with Mr.. Hartman?
1.-THE people on the Pacific coast
would like to have these things ex-
planned.
"The valuable timber lands ex-
changed by your administration with
the railroads for worthless lands In
forest reserves, were a valuable patrt-
mony to generations yet unborn.
"Why were they sacrificed to the
railroads?
'Why, in your trust-busting admin
istration, have you taken no action to
dissolve this pooling agreement?
"The American people would like to
know.
'tWiIl you kindly have Mr.. Taft ex-
plain to the American people what ne
and his administration or he is
elected), intends to do about this
| pooling agreement that robs the Pa
| cific coast Of $25,O00O0O annually, and
which has remained In existence, un-
molested, during three Republican ad-
| ministrations?
| 'rWith great respect, 1 remain yours
"ADAM DIXON WARNER"