Letter from Oscar P. Austin to Martin A. Knapp
Subject(s): Adams, Henry C. (Henry Carter), 1851-1921, Government report writing, Hanks, Charles Stedman, 1856-1908, Harriman, George W. R., Railroads--Statistical methods, United States. Interstate Commerce Commission. Division of Statistics
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Oscar P. Austin returns to Chairman Knapp several documents that detail criticisms of the Interstate Commerce Commission’s 1904 statistical report on railways. The criticisms by George W. R. Harriman and Charles Stedman Hanks were lengthy, detailed, and assert that the details of the report are inaccurate and misrepresent the statistics for investors. They request that the 1905 report be corrected or go unpublished. Austin refutes the criticisms, stating that Harriman and Hanks do not understand the “modes of tabulation” used in the report and do not understand how the tables relate to each other. Austin agrees that perhaps the report does not contain detailed enough information for investors, but argues that the report is a general one and not meant for investors. Austin recommends publishing the 1905 report as soon as possible.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1906-12-10
Creator(s)
Austin, Oscar P. (Oscar Phelps), 1848?-1933
Recipient
Language
English
Period
U.S. President – 2nd Term (March 1905-February 1909)
Repository
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Page Count
7
Production Method
Record Type
Multi-image
Resource Type
Rights
These images are presented through a cooperative effort between the Library of Congress and Dickinson State University. No known restrictions on publication.
Citation
Cite this Record
Chicago:
Letter from Oscar P. Austin to Martin A. Knapp. [December 10, 1906]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o54990. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Austin, Oscar P. (Oscar Phelps), 1848?-1933. Letter from Oscar P. Austin to Martin A. Knapp. [10 Dec. 1906]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. December 11, 2025. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o54990.
APA:
Austin, Oscar P. (Oscar Phelps), 1848?-1933., [1906, December 10]. Letter from Oscar P. Austin to Martin A. Knapp.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o54990.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. December 11, 2025. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
APA:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
