The morning news., 1897-08-28
OIL WILL BE CHEAP NOW.
STANDARD OIL COMPANY STARTS A
CUT AGAINST THE DIXIE.


Being Put In Good Condition.
Troubled waters are already astir, and
the oil tanks of the Standard Oil Com
pany and the Dixie Oil Company are be-
Ing turned on TO smooth them down in
vain. The Dixie people haven't fairly
Knocked down to business yet but there
has been a cut made on the price of illum
mating oils by the Standard folks.
amounting to nearly % per cent in the
only city where the Dixie is supplying
this line of goods-New orleans.
win this cut spread?
VIII Savannah patrons of the Standard
Oil Company enjoy such a reduction?
These are pertinent questions just at
present.
The price Of oil in this city direct from
the tanks of the Standard Oil Company
which deliver the supply to the consumers
right at their doors, is. according to The
statement of MT William NJ Bent, special
agent of the STANDARD oil Company, In
this city, cents per gallon. The Dixie
Oil Company which just received its
charter from the superior court of this
county recently has already begun sup
plying oil to patrons in New Orleans, and
the first echo is that the STANDARD has
cut its price from ~ to 2 cents per gal
lon in that city. This is upward of p
per cent The Dixie people met the cut
promptly This precipitates the war,
whether the agents of the two rival COM
panies are willing 70 term it war or not.
Being very young corporation, the Dixie
st1r,r oil
in it's territory yet, except, as stated. in
New orleans, which is to be the general
headquarters of the Standards rival in
the southern states.
Many of the prominent representatives.
of the Standard have been taken into the
employ of the Dixie company at New Or
leans, and it Is the general opinion that
the young rival company will make 1t
warm for the Standard in a silent inno-
cent way. of course the Dixie company
does not mean to fight the Standard. Mr.
S. p. Shotter who is the principal organ
izer of the new corporation. says SO.
"Oh. no, said he to Morning News
reporter last night. there Is no antago-
nism against the Standard oil Company
in the movement started by our corpora
ton TO supply oil 20 the trade. II Is sim
ply business proposition. We thought
there was a good field for us and we have
undertaken to enter it. 1t Is true that we
have already begun to supply oil to patrons
in New orleans, and we shall, in the near
future, begin to supply il in Savannah and
other cities. 1t is also true that the Stan
dard Oil Company has made cut of
from IL to cents per gallon on illumi-
mating oils in New Orleans since our
company started it's business there.
at may be true that we have met the
cut. Nevertheless, these things are moth
ing more than is expected when one goes
into field to do business. 1t Is all busi-
ness. It does not argue that the Dixie
Oil Company was started for the purpose
of waging war upon the Standard Oil
Company. No capricious antagonism has
even been contemplated, and no sudden
warfare with respect to oil rates has been
precipitated at our deliberate direction.
Not at all"
"Win such reduction prevail every
where?" was asked.
The Standard Oil people having made
the reduction, it might prove more to the
point to ask them about that
us IL true that you have taken into the
employ of the Dixie Oil Company several
leading representatives of the Standard
Oil Company"
Perfectly true; any new business en-
terprise has to be put into the hands of
experienced men. We have begun work on
our plant in New Orleans and will equip
&C with large storage tanks and ware
houses. We are at the same time putting
ourselves in position to do an active busi-
ness in other cities of the southern states.
As 90 the fluctuations oft rates which
seems TO have been started in New Or
leans already, we cannot cpeak further
than 70 say that we have been advised
that a reduction has been made in that
city by the Standard Oil Company" ="
Mr.. William NJ. Bent, special agent for
the Standard oil Company In this city.
was interviewed by the Morning News
concerning the reduction. He asknOwl-
edged that such a cut was In effect.
1T is only this he said, chat the Stan
dard on Company can supply oil at as
low figure as any other company. We
have our factories, shops. warehouses and
tanks all al work in a perfect system
throughout the various towns and cities,
and II stands to reason that we can sup
ply oil as cheap as any new company
which. perhaps has not figured out the
actual profits and losses OF the business
by actual experience There is no bene-
III 10 be derived from the sale OF oil at
as low a figure as We are now supplying
Il IN New Orleans. except TO consumers.
There is little or no profit in the business
at this figure"
''Win such "a reduction be made in Sa-
vannah?"
THAT depends upon conditions"
HAS the cut been put in effect IN any
city other chan New Orlcans?"
mo. not yet There has been no reduc-
ton elsewhere ON account OF the compe-
tition anticipated by the Dixie OF Com
pany What may happen / cannot predict
] understand that the Dixie people are
preparing now 10 begin supplying Oh in
Savannah. They have purchased
their warehouses and have one
street tank. as / understand They will
probably begin 10 send oil out to consum-
ers in Savannah about the first OF Octo-
Der We shall see what we shall see
The Dixie OH Company will receive It's
first shipment OF OH IN about ten days
This will come from renucries In Penn
sylvania that are independent OF the
Standard Oh Company. The company
will store its oil al the location on River
street from iH to flj. east. location
has also been secured on Factors Walk
from Nos tl2 TO ilS 40 the latter place
the company will compound and manufac-
tlre its lubricating oils ana greasos. Work
~ now being done at che River street
quarters in ntting up the place. as pre-