The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-05-16
VIOLATIONS OF law
Under Investigation by the Inter
State Commission,
RAILROAD DISCRIMINATION
In Favor ofthe oil Monopolles-Tcs'
timony Begun at TitusyIIle-Tho
First Witness Examined-Ef
fects of the New Rate.

State Commerce Commission, represent
ed by Judge Cavley and Messrs. Morri'
son and Bragg, met at 10 o'clock this
morning, the complainauts, the IRde'
pendent Reaners' Association, OF both
Oil City and Titusville, appeared by
their counsel, NJ, ], Heywang, Of Titus
vile, and F, B, Gowen, Of PHILADELPHIA
the Western New York and Pennsylva'
mia railway and Pennsylvania railway,
by their counsel, ]. D, Hancock, Of
Franklin; the Erie railway, by Judge
Williamson, OF Cleveland, and ], 4,
Buchanan, Of New York, and the lie.
high railway, by Gowen, Of PhiiadeI'
phia, phe complaint includes three
Issues,
First-The rates between the oil re.
glon and the seaboard.
SeCond-That the difference In freight
rates between oil transported In tank
cars and in barrels amount to . discrim.
ination against them.
Third-That the railroad companies
are bound to furnish tank cars TO ship,
pers,though generally such cars are fur
nished by the shippers themselves.
The complainants' counsel asked in
opening to compel the Pennsyl.
vania railroad company TO produce
before the Commission at a fu.
ture hearing in Washington q con.
contract alleged to have baep made In
1870 between the pennsylvania hail.
road and tbe Eational Transit Com.
papy by which the Pepnsylyaniq
Railway company was to DO guaranteed
20 per cent Of all oil traffic from these
regions, and the rates Weta 10 be the
same for pipe lines and railroads. fhil
was opposed by Mr.. Hancock, who agreed
70 produce any cont::ssct subject to It's
relevancy q Joy, tQ tRe questions at issue IN
The Court refused to make an order
producing this contract, He said the
Commission came to Titusviiie Tor the
convenience Of taking local testimony;
the testimony would be continued at
Washington, and the argument on these
cases would be heard at Washington,
and whether that alleged contract was
relevant and admissible or not, would
be decided on argument at Washington
where both sides would be heard. He
said that the Commission might want to
inspect the contract, and that II would
DO the subject OF future consideration,
In opening the case Mr.. dowCn went
into n history OF the inauguration and
completion Of the tide water pipe line,
which led TO the establishment OF the
seaboard pipe lines and their Subse.
quent arrangements. The counsel
wanted 10 show that the raising Of the
rates In oil barrels by the, defendants
was in consequence oi ruling OF the
Interstate Commission about year ago
in the cases OF Rice against. the Louis
vile i Nashville Railroad Company, and
OF Scoaeld against the Lake Shore Il
Michigan Southern Railroad, setting
forth that the proper method Of fixing
rates was to place them on a basis OF q
100 pounds weight including the pack
age, but that such decision was inap'
plicable to tho present conditions Of the
export trade.
Tho first witness called was S. Y.
Ramage, who went into the general his.
tory aud conditions OF refining oil, and
testified that the new rates on which
they. complained were, according to the
explanations given by the various trunk
lines representatives, made in Compli-
ance with the rule Of the commission as
aforesaid, and further that under such
ruling and rates they werel unable TO
carry on their business pF0ftablyI in
competition with the seaboard rehnerB
for export. On cross.examinatlon 1t was
shown by witness that the new rate was
equivalent to about five mills per ton
per mile from the oil region to the sea.
board.
At the evening session witness further
stated that the present cost Of refining
oil, exclusive OF interest, insurance, de-
probation, ETC., was q to 35 cents q bar.
rel, and that under the preGent freight
tariff tho reAners, under the most favor
able circumstances, could notmRke affair
living. The rate OF shipment to Boston,
he also stated. to be excessive, irreSpec.
tive Of the difference between the rates
on bulk and package oil. He had cor
responded with the Pennsylvania, Le-
high Valley, New York Gen.
tral and other roads since the
advance and the roads had
answered that the advance was made in
compliance with a decislonin In tho Scho.
heid Case at Cleveland that they were
satisfied with the former rates, and that
the refners had themselves or the Com
mission to blame for the increase. lie
also testified that II was more profitable
for the roads 10 haul oil In packages than
| In tanks, though Q higher rate was
charged for the former, because the rail-
ROADS could use the cars for western
shlpnentS on their return, while % per
cent Of the cars were returned empty.
The Hon. John sChwartE, owner o.
| the Crescent oil refinery, was next call
ed and gave testimony as TO the pro;
duction OF the oil tiilds and the effect ot
the recent decrease In atocks.
Al 10 o'clock the commission ad.
jouTbod till y O'clock tomorrow morn:
Ing, There are 1b0 witnesses Blbpoe'
naed. This afternoon the commission
were driven 10 the adjoining field, and
witnessed the shooting Of an oil well.
WHY IlH WANTED IT,
la Young Man ESlll tie PteAidsnt Hi