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About The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917 | View Entire Issue (May 10, 1906)
KIT SCORES Oil MSI III SMI 1ESS0EE TJ CONCRESS President Transmits Report of Com missioner Garfield with Com ments-on Document. ROGERS AND ARCHBOLD REPLY TO NATION’S EXECUTIVE Issue Elaborate Defense of Great Corporation, Contending It Is Conducted Along Honor able Business Lines and That Home Competition Is Not Crushed. Washington. — President Roosevelt Friday transmitted to congress the re port of James R. Garfield, commission er of corporations, giving the results of his investigation of the subject of transportation and freight rates in connection with the oil industry. In his message the president ex presses the view that the report is of capital importance because of the ef fort now being made to secure such enlargement of the powers of the in terstate commerce commission as will confer upon the commission power in some measure adequate to meet the clearly demonstrated needs of the sit uation. The facts set forth in the re port, he declares, are for the most part not disputed. That the Standard Oil company has benefited enormously up almost to the present moment by se cret rates, many of which were clear ly unlawful, the president says the re port clearly shows. Abolish Secret Rates. The president then says: A very striking result of the inves tigation has been that shortly after the discovery of these secret rates by the commissioner of corporations the major portion of them was promptly corrected by the railroads, e . thal most of them have now been done ' COMMISSIONER JAMES R. GAKK1ELU away with. This immediate correc tion, partial or complete, of the evil of the secret rates is, of course, on the one hand an acknowledgment that they were wrong and yet were per severed in until exposed; and, on the other hand, a proof of the efficiency of Vthe work mat has been done by the xiureau of corporations. "But in addition to these secret rates the Standard Oil profits im mensely by open rates, which are so arranged as to give it an overwhelm ing advantage over its independent competitors.” Controls the Market. It is not possible, he says, to put Into figures the exact amount by which the Standard profits through the gross favoritism shown it by the railroads in connection with the open rates. "The profit, of course, comes not merely by the saving ift the rate Itself as compared with its compet itors, but by the higher prices it -s able to charge and by the complete control of the market which it se cures, thereby getting the profit on the whole consumption.” There Are Others. It is unfortunately not true, he says, that the Standard Oil company is the only corporation which has benefited and is benefiting in wholly improper fashion by an elaborate series of rate discriminations. The sugar trust, he adds, according to the results of the investigation now in progress, rarely if ever pays the lawful rate for trans portation. He declares that in the ef fort to prevent the railroads from uniting for improper purposes “we have very unwisely prohibited them from uniting for proper purpqses: that is, for purposes of protecting them selves and the general public as against the power of the great cor porations." Correctionary Measures. He favors as an element of compe tition the passage of some such law THE STANDARD OIL COMPANY. • - Its Beginning. Growth. Ramifications. Capital and Profit. PERSONNEL. Years. Capital. 1862—Andrews. Clark & Co.J4.UUU Company formed by Samuel Andrews ; capital furnished by M. B. Clark and John D. Rockefeller. 190)—Standard Oil company.Jl.OUU.UUU In this company were Jonn if. Rockefeller, Henry M Flagler, Samuel Andrews. S. V. Harkness. and William Rockefeller; daily capacity, 1.300 barrels. 1872—Standard Oil company of Cleveland. .J2,3U0,UU0 Began buying up rival companies, paying In cash and Standard Oil stock: took in twenty-one out of twenty-six independent refineries in Cleve land; daily capacity 1U.UU0 barrels. Invaded Pennsylvania. 1875—Standard Oil company.J3.3UU.UOU Purchased works of Charles Pratt & Co. and invaded New York; began to extend pipe lines to seaboard. 1882—Standard Oil Trust.J70.U0U.0UU Included thirty-six companies in Ohio. Pennsylvania. West Virginia. Maryland. New York, and New Jersey. Disrupted iu 1892. 1898— Standard Oil company, of New Jersey.J10.UU0.UUU This company formed after Rockefeller company had left Ohio. It did not include constituent companies. 1899— Standard Oil company of New Jersey. J100.000.0u0 Took in all constituent oil companies owned and controlled by Standard OH interests. Has remained in the same corporate form to date. CONSTITUENT COMPANIES. Capitalization .J102.233.7UU Assets . 121,631,312 MONEY MADE -BY TRUST. Tear. Capital. Dividends. 1879 . J3.500.000 J3.150.000 1880 . 3,500,000 1,050.000 1883 . 70.000.000 8,000.000 1886. 70,000,000 15.000.000 188*. 70.000,000 16,500.000 1889 . 7O.0UJ.0U0 15,000.000 1*94. 100.000.000 45.000.0UJ 1*96. lOO.UJO.flOO 31.000,000 1897 . 100.000,000 33,000.000 1898 . KJ0.0UI.OUj 30,000,000 1899 . lOO.OOU.OOO 33.OUI.OOU 1901 to date [div. estim'd ] at eidendsi 1900 . 100,000,000 4S.OOU.OUi 1901 to date [divi dends estimated]... 100,000,000 48.000,000 BANKS CONTROLLED BY STANDARD OIL. Banks. Capital. National City of New Tork.JS.0U0.W0 Lincoln National. juu.WO Second National. Jqu.OOU Bank of Metropolis. l.OW.wn First. Chicago. 5,000,000 Totals .J31.fuj.uuj Mileage. Stock. Bonds. RAILROADS CONTROLLED BY STANDARD OIL C., M. & St. P.. 6.746 J100.000.UJO Ja6.000.000 Mo.. K. & Tex. 2.500 68.UJ0.JJU0 87.OUJ.UO Wis. Central... 1,047 30,000,000 29.uuu,ooo Totals .10.293 J198,000,000 3572,000.000 as that which has already passed the house, putting alcohol used in the arts and manufactures upon the free list and of keeping tne fee to oil and coal lands of the Inu.an tribes or on the public domain in the government, the lands to be leased only on such terms and for such periods as will enable the government to entirely control them. TRANSPORTATION GREAT EACTOR IN COMPETITION. In summarizing his report Commis sioner Garfield speaks of his personal visit to the oil fields and of the great mass of data obtained by him either personally or through agents of the bureau of corporations. The prelimi nary study of this material, he says, showed that the most important sub ject was transportation, which enters so largely into the cost of furnished product and hence a most important factor in competition. “The Standard claims that the lo cation of its refineries and the use of pipe lines are natural advantages to which it is justly entitled by reason of the energy and foresight of its man agers. While in a measure' that is true, it may not be forgotten that these advantages were in part obtained by means of unfair competitive meth ods after years of industrial strife. “The development of the pipe line system by the Standard Oil compariy was the result of special agreements with railroad companies. Further more, those so-called natural advan tages have been and are being greatly increased by discriminations in freight rates, both published and secret, inter state and state, which give the Stand ard monopolistic control in the great er portion of the country. Oil Price Is Gauge. “An immediate result of this delim itation of the competitive area is shown by the prices of ordinary il luminating oil. After deducting the freight rate the price of such oil is ; usually from two cents to five cents a gallon higher in the non-competitive than in the competitive fields. A rea sonable profit upon refined oil Is about one-half a cent per gallon. It is clear that exorbitant profits are ob tained in the non-competitive fields.” In i904 these secret rates saved the Standard Oil company three-quarters oi a million uollars, representing the difference between the open rates and the rates actually paid. “These dis criminations.” he says, “have been so long continued, and so secret., so in geniously applied to new conditions of trade, and so large in amount as to make it certain that they were due to concerted action by the Standard and the railroads.” He says further that the Standard Oil company is receiving unjust discriminations in the matter of open rates, the published rates from the leading Standard shipping points being relatively much lower than rates from the shipping points of Its com petitors. Roads Abolish Secret Tariffs. Mr. Garfield then refers to seven instances of important discriminations in favor of the Standard Oil com pany in various parts of the country, and says that most of the secret rates and some of the open discriminations discovered by the bureau were abol ished by the railroads shortly after such discovery. After calling atten tion to the good which already has re sulted from the investigation, Mr. Gar field says that the changes effected have put the independents upon a fair er footing and make competition pos sible in territories heretofore inacces sible. The report concludes as fol lows: “Tariffs may be made and rates may be combined in such a manner as to make it practically impossible for the ordinary shipper to find them.” STANDARD MAGNATES REPLY TO PRESIDENT. New York.—In reply to President Roosevelt’s message and the report of Commissioner Garfield, Messrs. H. H. Rogers and John D. Archbold, of the Standard Oil company, made the fol lowing statement to the press: “In the president's effort to secure the passage of a bill enlarging the powers of interstate commerce com mission and just and equitable rail way rates, we have precisely the same interest that any good citizen has. No more and no less. Regarding his crit icisms upon the management of the railways, or his strictures upon any acts of the interstate commerce com mission. we have neither responsibil ity nor concern. When, however, he or Commissioner Garfield attacks the Standard Oil company and uses its methods of doing business an object lesson for the purpose of promoting his views, we protest. It may be frankly stated at the outset that the Standard Oil company has at all times within the limits of fairness and with due regard for the law, sought to se cure the most advantageous freight rates and routes possible. Corporation Is Upright. “We say flatly that any assertion that the Standard Oil company has been or is now knowingly engaged in practices whifh are unlawful is alike untruthful and unjust. “The commissioner’^ report, upon which the president's message is based, opens with the statement that the manufacture of refined oil in this country is about 26,000,000 barrels annually. It would have been fair for him to have stated that over 15,000, 000 of barrels of this annual manufac ture is exported. “He next calls attention to the fact that the Standard Oil refineries are lo cated at centers of distribution, while the independent refineries are usual ly in the crude oil fields. He charges HENRY H. ROGERS. that this location of refineries and the natural advantages following it were obtained by means of unfair competitive methods, but beyond this mere assertion does not go into a his tory or explanation of these alleged unfair methods at all. He says the "development of the pipe line system by the Standard Oil company was the result of special agreement with the railroad companies.’ As a matter of fact, the development of tho pipe line system by the Standard Oil com pany was in the face of violent hos tility on the part of the railroads. Conditions in New England. “Passing from this point, Commis sioner Garfield takes up the question of favoritism. wrhich he alleges has been shown by various railroad cor porations. to the Standard Oil com ; panv. The first specific case of al leged discrimination to which he di rects attention is in the New England territory. It is charged that we en joy a monopoly in certain parts of that section because some of the railroads there refuse to prorate. Casual in j quiry would show that the New Eng land roads are simply doing what they are forced to do by natural conditions. Obviously, we have an advantage by the use of our pipe lines from the western oil fields to the coast and the use of water transportation thence to New England over anyone who uses all rail transportation from western points. Some of our competitors do the same thing and deliver oil at the points in New England that we do by the same process. Question of Rebates. “The commissioner says that ‘with one or two exceptions the investiga tions of the bureau have as yet dis covered no rebates in the technical sense on interstate business.’ “He says the Standard Oil company has habitually received from the rail roads, and is now receiving, ‘secret’ rates and other unjust and illegal dis criminations. It is hardly fair or manly for him to add the sentence, ‘01 course there may be other secret rates which the bureau has not discovered.’ Does Not Crush Competition. “The statement that the 'Standard Oil company has largely by unfail and unlawful methods crushed oul home competition’ is fully answered by the fact that home competition has always existed, is steadily growing and that there are now at least 125 competitive refineries in the United States. “The Standard Oil company has been investigated over and over again at the instigation of its rivals, and it always welcomes such investigation when conducted in good faith and fairly. We are engaged in a large and honorable business. We are conduct ing it honorably and we sincerely be lieve in conformity to law.” THE FOOD SUPPLY. It >• Growing Short in San Fran cisco. SAN FRANCISCO—With no imme diate prospects that conditions will be so normalized that the community will be able to feed and take care of it self, the supply of food on hand or under way is becoming distressingly small. No man connected with the re lief affairs is willing to hazard an opin ion as to when relief work may be abandoned. Yet Mayor Schmitz in formed the genera] committee that from information in his possession it appeared that 700 car loads of food ind supplies of various descriptions had been distributed since the morn .ng of the earthquake in April 18, and the Southern Pacific, the Santa Fe and other transportation lines had informa tion of only 108 cars on the way. “If,” said the mayor, “this informa tion is correct, and I have no reason to doubt it, we will soon be worse off than we were a week ago. If the in formation has gone abroad throughout the country that we are amply sup plied it is most unfortunate, for it is apparent that we are not. It is not even known how much money we can use to purchase supplies, for you have heard from Mr. Phelan on several oc casions that part, at least, of this money subscribed by individuals or companies in the east is being dis bursed through private agents here. While it is true that contributions of money will be much more to the pur pose than contributions of supplies, the world should be notified that if the one is not available the other will be most gratefully received. I am not speak ing of non-perishable supplies, and as to such things as eggs, milk, butter and the like it will be better if we con tinue to buy these things in the imme diate vicinity.” Basing his calculations on reports received within the last twenty-four hours. General Greely stated that the entire available food supply, including shipments on hand and those en route, would be sufficient for the present pop ulaton during a period of fifteen days. This reckoning is made upon the rate at which supplies have been consumed since the fire. Under the army ration system that will hereafter prevail, Gen eral Greely stated his belief that the same amount of food would last twenty-one days. THE ELECTION IN OMAHA. Democratic Candidates Win by Unex pected Majorities. OMAHA—For the first time in six teen years Omaha has elected a demo cratic mayor, J. C. Dahlman. It was a Dahlman day and when the votes were counted the democratic candidate for mayor had been elected by 2.800. The balloting began early, fast and fu rious and never ceased until the polls closed at 6 o’clock. Only one republi can—Zimman for the council—pulled through. Dahlman's victory was so decisive that his three heaviest wards, where he received his largest major ities, 1.102 in the Third, 729 in the Sec ond, and 795 in the Tenth, could all have been thrown out, and he would still have a majority of four over Ben son. The Herald, speaking of the result, says: “That it was a landslide would seem quite plain to an unprejudiced ob server. The normal republican major ity of nearly 2.000 was wiped out. And Dahlman was elected by 2,790, while Building Inspector Withnell was re elected by 4,111. The other city elec tive officers were given majorities ranging from 700 to 1,400. It should not be understood that there is grief in the republican heart, for there were some 3,000 republicans who pulled the democratic lever, and they were quite as jubilant as if it were their own baby. One of them declared. ’It was a sweeping republican victory—the Pon tenelle machine has been knocked higher than Gilroy’s kite.’ ” Witte Likely to Retire. ST. PETERSBURG—Absolute con firmation of the reported retirement of Premier Witte, which has been the sole topic of conversation in political circles, is still lacking, but in St. Petersburg only a few skeptics express doubt that the once powerful premier has surrendered the reins. Witte him self is as silent as the sphinx on the subject. Intimation was given that tne appearance of Count Witte's resigna tion will not be announced until after convocation of the national parliament. WILL MOVE ON THE BANDITS. Attempt to Be Made to Capture Out law Philippine Band. MANILA—Next week a force of con stabulary, acting in conjunction with Gov. Juan Schaick, of the province of Cavite, will begin a movement to cap ture Montalon and his band of outlaws now located south of the Taal volcano. The authorities predict that it will lie impossible for the bandits and their leaders to escape on this occasion. copyright Bill is Ready. WASHINGTON—It is understood the third and final draft of the bill to codify the copyright laws of the United States is practically completed and will be submitted to congress by the copy right commission in about ten days. New Trade Mark Treaty. WASHINGTO N—A trade mark treaty between the United States and Roumanla has been ordered favorably reported by the senate committee on foreign relations. Loss of Hartford Companies. HARTFORD—The estimated net losses of the Hartford insurance com panies in the San Francisco fires ag gregate $13,150,000. Monster Benefit is Arranged. NEW YORK—The program of the monster benefit for the San Francisco sufferers to be given at the Metropoli tan opera house was completed on Thursday night. There are forty-five numbers on the bill and in order that all may appear the performance will be continued from 11 a. m. until mid night. Jacob H. Schiff, treasurer of the Red Cross and mayors' San Fran cisco relief funds, reports that since the last public acknowledgement the combined amount of the two funds has reached $916,883. AS TO RATE BILL REPUBLICAN SENATORS PRACTIC ALLY AGREE TO COMPROMISE. AMENDMENTS^RE CONSIDERED It is Done Under the Firteen-Minute Rule—Suggestion Drawn by Senator Allison Expected to Command Sup port of the Party. WASHINGTON—In accordance with agreement the senate on Friday enter ed upon the consideration of amend ments to the railroad rate bill under the fifteen-minute rule, but made lit tle progress. The greater part of the day was devoted to Mr. Lodge’s provi sion bringing pipe lines with the terms of the bill and it was ultimately unani mously agreed to, after so amending it as to exclude gas and water lines from its operation, thus practically confining it to oil lines. There were two roll calls, but neither was of im portance as, on one accepting the amendment, there was no division whatever, while the action taken on the other, on the question of confining it to oil lines, was practically nulified by the subsequent elimination of gas and water pipes from the amendment. The provision was so amended as to make it applicable to the oil pipe line in the Panama canal zone. A proposition by Mr. Foraker to ex clude regfrigerator cars from the re quirements of the bill and another by Mr. McCumber making the require ments concerning those cars more stringent than in the original bill, were impartially voted down. During the day there were many short speeches on the amendments, and also more or less discussion of points of order. Upon the whole the day’s proceedings were quite perfunctory, be ing rendered so by the general knowl edge of the fact that the republican senators were on the eve of an agree ment that would determine the char acter of the bill. There was an evi dent general disposition to await that agreement and an adjournment over Saturday was taken for the purpose of permitting it to be perfected. What amounts practically to an agreement on the existing differences concerning court features of the rail road rate bill has been reached by sen ate conferences extending over the last week, and Senator Allison will offer an amendment conferring jurisdiction upon the circuit court to hear and de tertnine suits brought against the in terstate commission. The amendment will not suggest to the court whether the judicial review shall be confined to constitutional questions or whether it shall be an inquiry into the just ness or reasonableness of the rates fixed by the commission. Senator Long made the principal le gal argument for the house bill, and Senators Aldrich and Crane, the lead ers in the movement seeking an amend ment providing for a board court re view expressed themselves today as favoring the amendment and both fac tions are agreed that the compromise is satisfactory to President Roosevelt. Undoubtedly this means that obstacles j to the speedy passage of the measure I have been removed. MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT. Chief Executive Tells Why He Refuses Offers of Foreign Donations. WASHINGTON—A special message was sent to congress by President Roosevelt in which he explained the attitude of this government regarding the offer of contributions to the San Francisco fire and earthquake suffer ers from foreign countries. He says that where the contributions were made to this government he did not feel warranted in accepting them, but where they were made to the ctiizens’ relief committee no action was or could be taken in regard to them. Governor to Live in Omaha. LINCOLN—Gov. John H. Mickey contemplates making his home in Omaha after he retires from office .n January. The chief executive will go to the metropolis to deliver a deed to his ranch property m Keya Paha county and take in exchange a deed for some 800 acres of land in Iowa, located across the river from Florence, two miles from Crescent. It is the govern or's intention to reside with his family in Omaha, and from that city direct the w’ork on his Iowa farm. Iroquois Company Fails. ‘CHICAGO—The Iroquois Theater company of Chicago was placed in the hands of a receiver at Jersey City, N. J. The company confessed to no assets and liabilities of $2,00u.000 in damage suits, flted by scores of people after the burning of the theater in 1903. The merchandise creditors of the theater company have been paid. Coal Land Law for Alaska. WASHINGTON—The senate commit tee on public lands has decided not to report the bouse bill to authorize assignees of coal land locations to make entry under coal land laws to 1,280 acres of coal lands in Alaska. The measure applies to associations of eight or more persons. General Manderson Goes East. OMAHA—General Manderson left for Atlantic City to recuperate from effects of his long illness. Mrs. Mand erson and Dr. Mattson accompany him, the doctor returning to this city after seeing the general to the Jersey coast. No Agreement on Statehood. WASHINGTON — The conferences on the statehood bill have not yet reached the main point of difference— that of admitting Arizon and New Mexico. I _ Tornado in Furnas County. OXFORD, Neb.—The most destruc tive tornado in the history of Furnas county passed over this section at 6 o'clock Monday evening, leaving wide devastation in its path. So far as known there were no fatalities, though a number were injured. The starting point of the storm is not known here, but. coming from a southwesterly di rection. is first known to have struck at the farm house of John Reynolds, five miles west of Oxford, where it de molished two large barns. Reports so far are meagre. SITUATION TODAY. San Francisco as Seen After Eleven Days. SAN FRANCISCO—An Investigation j has demonstrated that the fear that San Francisco will suffer a period of 1 hard times as an aftermath of the disastrous fire is unfounded. Careful estimates made by authorities compe tent to speak show that within the next year there will be over $200,000, 000 available for the rehabilitation of San Francisco. The following figures make clear where this sum is to orig inate : Investment of new Geary street mu nicipal road, $340,000; Home Tele phone company expenditures, $1,000. 000; insurance losses now due and payable, approximately $175,000,000; United railroads, new construction, $9,000,000; city bonds for 1904, sum j still available, $17,000,000; Ocean Shore railway, approximate expendi ture here, $1,000,000; restoration of government buildings, $770,000; build ing of sea wall, $2,000,000; total, $207, 110,000. It is expected that a large part of this money will come from eastern and foreign capitalists. In figuring the odd $200.000,000 ' which will be available the investigat ors did not take into consideration the sums that may be raised for the beau tification and improvement of the city. The vexatious problems of locating the new Chinatown will probably be settled to the satisfaction of the Chi nese colony. It is the desire of the municipality not to harass this portion of its foreign population and the de sire of the diplomatic representatives of China will be considered. Conditions of life are gradually be coming more normal in this city and the work of clearing up the wreck in preparation for rebuilding in the down town section of the city is going on more rapidly. Business is being rapidly resumed by retail tradesmen of every descrip tion throughout the burned sections of the city. George Wittman. chairman of the committee on retail trade, re ports that the places of business are open, as follows: Forty-four butcher shops, twenty nine restaurants, twenty-two bakeries, twenty-two fruit and vegetable stands, seventy-one dairies, fifteen refresh ment parlors, fiftythree groceries and seventy-one miscellaneous establish ments, including tailors, plumbers, dry goods stores, druggists and cigar stands. _ WALL STREET SMASH. Anaconda Goes Down 14 Points and Big Decline in Steel. NEW YORK—Prices were smashed at the opening of the stock market Wednesday as a result of the contin uance of the heavy selling. The rush to dispose of the securities seemed to indicate that liquidation of an im portant. character was under way and speculative holders of stocks generally became alarmed and made a precipi tate rush to get out of the market. Food Supply Running Low. SAN FRANCISCO—General Greely gave warning to the finance commit tee of the citizens’ relief committee that he had only eleven days’ rations on hand, that the army could not fur nish an ounce of food beyond that al ready purchased or in sight and that the feeding of the people is a problem which demands immediate attention. After considerable discussion the com mittee decided to have a summing up of re-wnirces and needs. Following this it is possible that an appeal for sup plies will be made.' Senators Against Smoot. WASHINGTON—A pool of the sen ate committee on privileges and elec tions developed that a majority will vote to sustain the charges against. Senator Smoot, but that the full strength of the opposition cannot be held for a report recommending the exclusion of the senator, which would require only a majority vote of the senate. In view of this, those who be lieve the charges against the Utah senator were proved, are seeking an agreement by which a report can be made in favor of unseating Smoot. Interprets Cigarette Law. INDIANAPOLIS, IND.—The Park’s anti-cigarette law passed by the last session of the Indiana legislature was declared valid on Thursday by the su preme court. The court interpreted the as meaning that it is illegal to sell cigarettes in Indiana or keep them for sale, but it is not illegal to smoke them and it is not illegal to bring them into the state. Thinks Rate Bill Will Pass. WASHINGTON — Representative Hepburn is sanguine that the Hep burn-Dolliver railroad rate bill will be passed by the senate., "The out look appears to grow more favorable every day,” said Colonel Hepburn. “I do not believe there will be any sub stantial amendments.” Vote on Rate Bill. WASHINGTON — The senate will begin voting on the amendments to the railroad rate bill on Friday. May 4. An agreement to that effect was reached Monday, but It proved Impos sible to so extend the understanding as to have it include the fixing of a date for taking a final vote on the bill as a whole. Agricultural Bill Passed. WASHINGTON—The house com pleted the agricultural appropriation bill and passed the military academy bill. The agricultural appropriation bill as it passed the house carried *7, 491,440. The military academy bill carries *1,663,115. Plague is Spreading. ST. PETERSBURG—The plague sit uation in Seistan (on the Persian-Af ghan border) has assumed appalling dimensions, spreading rapidly in North eastern Persia and numbering its vic tims by hundreds. Total Dead May Be 1,500. SAN FRANCISCO, Cal—Coroner Walsh said: “When the debris is cleared away there will be at least 1,000 additions to the death roll. I would not be surprised if the number reached 1,500.” AFTER OIL TRUST THAT AND OFFENDING RAIL ROADS TO BE PROSECUTED. GARFIELD LOOKS IIITO REBATES Matter to Be Brought Before Grand Jries and Where it is Found Viola tions of Law Have Occurred Evi dence Will Be Taken. WASHINGTON—The statement was authoritatively made that the depart ment of justice will immediately be gin an investigation of the relations of the so-called oil trust and a number of railroads, with a view of determin ing whether there have been violations of the anti-rebate law. The basis for this investigation will be the information recently submitted to the president in a report of Can - missioner Garfield of the bureau of corporations, which is soon to be made public. This report, it is learned, deals only with the subject of rebates and does not go into the questions of vi> 1st ions of the anti-trust law. If it is found that rebates have been given by the railroads and accepted by the so-caled trust, steps will be at once taken, it is asserted, to bring the matter before the grand juries in the localities where the alleged violations took place, with a view to prosecutions in the courts, it is not thought that the department of justice in conducting its inquiries will require the service of any one outside of the department proper, and the LTnited States attorneys and other officers under its immediate direction. It is stated that Mr. Garfield In con ducting his investigation traveler! ex tensively and visited all important sec tions covered by the operations of the so-called trust, from New England to California, and the south, and that the evidence obtained is amply sufficient to warrant the department of justice in taking the course decided upon. JAMES E BOYD DEAD. Only Democratic Governor of Nebras ka Succumbs After a Long Struggle. OMAHA—Former Governor James E. Boyd died at his residence in this city. Monday afternoon. The end came calmly and without pain after a long struggle for life. The death of Governor Boyd follows closely upon the death of former Gov ernor Thayer, whom Boyd succeeded as chief executive of Nebraska and with whom he was embroiled in one of the most bitter political contests in the history of the state, but with whom he became cordially associated in friendship warmer because of the other relations that had existed. Governor Boyd had been in poor health peculiar to old age for over a year. For months his life had been despaired of. He was 71 years old. CONFERENCE ON STATEHOOD. Two Important Conclusions Reached by Conferees. WASHINGTON—Two Important con clusions were reached by the state hood conferees Thursday. One settles the school lands question and the other makes the present registration districts temporary counties for the purpose of court jurisdiction during the forma tion of the new state and the erection of permanent county boundaries. As to the school lands, the Warren amendment voted on by the senate pro vided that where school iand3 were found to be mineral lands, lieu selec tions sbould be made. The substitute agreed upon provided in substance that the state may lease its mineral school lands and shall thus not be deprived of their greater value. CREDIT FOR STRICKEN CITY. Senator Newlands Introduces Resolu tion for Home Government Guar antee Bonds. WASHINGTON—That the Califor nia senators do not consider that there should at present be an effort to se cure government aid in the general re construction of the city of San Fran cisco was made evident in the senate Wednesday. The question came up on Mr. Newlands' resolution directing the finance committee of the senate and the ways and means committee of the house to consider the feasibility of the government's guaranteeing bonds to aid in the rehabilitation of the stricken city. The resolution was discussed and referred to the commit tee on finance. FINDS CELESTIAL’S GOLD. It Was Melted Into Lump and Then Stolen. SAN FRANCISCO—A mass of gold and silver valued at $35,000 melted In the store of Che King, a Chinese mer chant at Washington and Dupont streets, and which had disappeared from the ruins, has been recovered by the police at Broadway and Stockton streets, where it was found hidden. The gold and silver were melted with other metal articles. Child Burned in Prairie Fire. BOWDLE, S. D.—The little son ot Lenhart Aldinger, a farmer of this place, was burned to death. The child followed his father to a field adjoining the farm, where the latter went to start a stubble fire. The flames came down the field rapidly and caught the little child, who, up to thi6 time had not been seen by his father. Nebraskan Killed in Earthquake. NORFOLK. Neb —Dr. Kelley, assist ant superintendent at St. Agnew’s la sane Asylum at Agnew, Cal., who was killed In the earthquake, was the tret superintendent of the Nebraska iniane hospital at Norfolk fifteen yearr ago. Juror Captures Prisoner ST. LOUIS—John W. Waterhouse, who came here from Se&ttlf in Feb ruary and was arrested on tne charge of forgery and found guilt , was sen tenced to five years ipprisrotnent. When Judge Bishop pronounced sen tence, Waterhouse sprang towards an open window and was just Jumping through when a juror leaped rom the box and seized him by the coattail. Deputy Sheriffs dragged Wserhouse from the window and a livelyfight en sued before the prisoner ws finally subdued.
