The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-02-28
The Rate Situation

INC Rate Situation
Now that the representatives. Of
the Western Petroleum Refiners as
ISOLATION are returning from Wash
iugton 10 is interesting to note that
here I'm Tulsa a few things are very
apparent and that should be stated
plainly as showing tho exact stu
alton in regard to rates in Okla
homa.
Since the first OF January two
railroads at least are doing every
thing possible for the rciincrs who
give them the bulk of their traffic;
neither, unfortunately. touch any
part Of Oklahoma. First, there Is
the e. II. &c O., which has recently
reduced the rate from Casper. Wyo.,
to New Orleans for export from 1874
cents to so cents per hundred
pounds. This same road has re
duced the rate from Casper TO Dem
yer II cents per hundred pounds.
The Louisiana 81 Arkansas rail-
road has made an application TO tho
interstate commerce commission for
reduced rates into the southeast of
the United States for the benefit OF
%refineries doing business in Louisi-
ana.
The Frisco. which Is n big EAR
rier OF petroleum products out OF
Tulsa and other points in Oklahoma,
had an opportunity TO reduce the
rates put in effect by the interstate
commerce commission applying to
refined products shipped from
points east OF the Mississippi river
OF 81 cents per hundred pounds
and. so far. has failed to take ad-
vantage OF its wonderful chance to
play fair with the %refineries here.
The railroads running from Okla
homa to Colorado points are UNDER
taking to stop the reduced rates
from Casper 10 Denver but. in case
this Cannot be done, say there will
be some Establishments made later
on. In the meantime the Casper re-
fineries will have at least a month
the pest OF us.
The shipment OF fuel oil east Is
absolutely at n standstill, where for
merly IL was n common occurrence to
see trainloads leaving Tulsa and
even then 1t paid a tariff equal to
two and one-half times chat OF coal,
with which IL comes in competition.
The rates on petroleum products
In Oklahoma r now equal to the
rates In Kansas, which up to a short
time ago were much lower than
here at home. This is due TO the
stand taken by the corporation COM
mission, which has done good work
for the oil men since the last sos-
sion OF tho legislature. and for this
reason the republican legislature
refused to make an appropriation OF
$4,000 to maintain the traffic de-
partment OF the said corporation
commission until that body had alb
solutely promised to do something
for the Industries of this state. This
agreement is still in effect, and the
refiners are enjoying the benefit OF
the same.
The Esch- Townsend law passed
by n couple OF years ago
guaranteeing a 6 per cent earning to
the railroads. which brought about
an increase of from 35 to As per
cent in the rates on railroads of the
United States, is still in effect, but
this 35 per cent affecting Oklahoma
has entirely shut off long distance
hauls and is the cause OF the rail-
roads doing about n fourth of the
business they formerly did out of
Oklahoma and hence IL liz n losing
proposition, besides keeping a great
many railroad men out II employ
ment and ~depriving eastpn manu-
facturers I'm the Pittsburgh and
Buffalo districts OF the use OF Okla
homa fuel oil.
As reported in yesterdays World
Art Walker of the Oklahoma cor
poration commission went on the
witness stand at the hearing in
Washington and declared that this
law should be repealed inAsmuch as
IL was wrong 10 ask the farmer who
made no dividend at all to guaran-
tee the railroads 6 per cent, lie
could have said, had he borne I'm
mind the fact that this was a hear
ing on petroleum rates, that It was
wrong TO ask the r%efiners to guar
antee the railroads 6 per cent, when
not a third OF them + eve break
ing even in tho refining game.
But when It comes to putting Art
! Walker on the witness stand 20 testi-
fy against the Esch-Townsend law,
with Mr.. Esch sitting as n Judge OF
the case before the said interstate
commerce commission, It was poor
judgment. to say the least. Tulsa
can send a strong delegation of busi-
ness men to Washington any time,
who will tell congress what II thinks
about the h-Townsend law, but
when II to putting Art Walk
err on the stand TO make an attack
on the said law It looks too much
| like MIR. Walker was boosting his
own game and was endeavoring 20
get back some of the prestige and
power formerly enjoyed by the state
railroad commission and our W
corporation commission. TO which
Mr.. Walker belongs.
As the corporation commission
has handled the gas business so
might II at any time handle the rail-
road business. The temper of the
people is strongly against the COM
! mission as II In now but II IL will con-
fine itself 10 tho regulation of rates
as II has been doing al viii be for
given and another appropriation
made when the next legislature
npatg