The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-08-25

TRUST CAN
FIX RATES
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THEREBY ~ u L.IF vi
TARIFF REGULATIONS OF.
THIS COUNTRY
COSTING U. 5. MILLIONS,
OECLAREs CONGRESSMAN
-. ser
Ninety Per Cent Of Commerce
Carried BY Combine
Shipper Is Tied

New York AuR. %. Renrcscna.
tive VIM ~ Humphrey of Washington
has made public statement TO prove
that the great foreign steamship COM
panles have entered into n worldwide
trust which can nulllfy the tariff rcsu.
lations of this country by It's dictation
TO American railroads, fix what toll
1t pleases on S3.l50Nvn00G of tno am
nual foreign commerce OF the Unltod
States and Isolate this nation aims.
entirely from the ever incrca lls
trade OF South America
The steamship trust" sAiG Mr.,
Humphrey, "ls eosting our country di.
rectly and indirectly hundreds OF mi.
lions of dollars every year. Il Is Il
drain on our vitality and our resonrc.
es that coOncr Of later will result In
the greatest injury 10 our naton.7
During the last session of congress
Mr Humphrey made an active fight
for the passage OF the snip subsidy
bill He also introduced resolution
for the investigation OF foreign steam.
shn pools. Both the bin aud The
resolution were Opposed by mysterious
iy powerful Influences.
both were defeated IN orlcr to
maze the ship subsidy question one of
the prime Issnes of the coming CON
gress'olal campaign. Mr.. Humphrey
now presents mass of detail which
ne says reveals all OF the inner work.
ings OF the steamship trust. It's secret
conferences. It's fixing OF freight and
passenger rates, IT'S confidential re-
bates and It's smreplitlous fagoritlsm
OF the lea ling American Industrial
combinations
They Agree on Rates.
i challenge any OF the steamship
magnates TO deny or refuta the
charges | make against them" said
the Pacific coast congressman.
These charges can be summarized
IN ten paragraphs:
Ninety per cent of our commerce
which for the year 1910. VIII approx.
mate $500, 100000 IL carried by a
siant monopoly composed OF foreign
ships among which there Is not tie
slightest competition
These lines are each and all pleds
ed to stand together to destroy any
competitive tine that may attempt to
enter the field
There ! not regular line OF for.
eign Nraseir carrying our commerce
Dul Is IN a r1al that agrees on freight
rites and gives rebates or other pref.
ercnces.
There Is net one OF these allied
Ines but disctmln ties AGAINST pra.
ducts Ct this country. wherever and
whenever these products compete with
the pro lucts OF the country whose
flag the 'eEsel carries
The service between thls country
and Sonth American ports Is erOssly
Inadequate aud discrImlnatory against
this country N favor Of the countrlea
Of Enrpe.
Many Receive Subsidies.
There & III a line 81 foreign yes.
sells engaged - carrying 0ur com.
incrCc ca eltaer ocean but gives sprc.
ial rates aud other preferences TO the
Sttdard Gii compaly, lhe steel .ust
and the harvester trust.
These combinations dictate freigni
rates 10 and from interior points and
they dictate the ports through when
interior freight shall pass.
Many Of the line in these com
binatiols have large in f)per;y holding.
m this c0uatry. consisting OF .termn,
ais and other property and are rep
resented by local agents here 50 that
they can be made amcndable 10 the
colrts OF The rnlied States.
Many OF the allied steam hips arr
rccclyelng subsidies ana otaer forms
OF financial assistance from their gov
er. ments and are government niac
tons. Many fyrni part Of The naSa
aus llaries Of the nation whose llla
they fly.
There Is aisg 4 combination be-
tween the trans-cuntlnta railways anc
lapanese steamship lines that fix the
rates oa freight bot. on land and sea
There are tour great combination
tho first controlling the com
mertc between here AM Europe tht
second between here and South Amer
lea, the third between here and Afr \
and the fourth between here and Tho
Oiient The first combination 4
made up IN three pools. each OF ghiel
Is IN perfect accord with The others
These three may be deslgsaied as ih,
Continental, MedIielranean and Enl
sh conferences.
Have Shippers Tied.
All there rools rf-etlce The dc
ferred system OF rebates. Alter 81,
70 eight months they psy their ems
\ iAeiH O rebate 81 from 5 Is 20 pe'
cni, provided these customers hayl
done everything theg require Of then
"Fhp shipper mist net directly o
.rdirecilys patroaize any line osItaid'
the ecrfe-ence. He must continue L
pstfenize the conference lines II the.
rsjse freight rate egen II the be done
/ wiiiiDus his linlwlcdge of consent.
These rnihinus have fixed thu
ifrran iHiwetn here and south Amer.