The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-14
\ COMPANIES MAY FIGHT.
.r LIKELY TO SUBMIT TO CON-
F!SCATION READILY.

.o,d That Oil Has Passed the
Il ,r..t REQUIRED by the State Law
and THAT 1t Cannot BE Seized for
. ,ot NIcctiug the Requirements OF
Test Not Legally Provided for.
r,. Present Law "A stupid One,
.,,s Ntr. j. +. {. Myers of the Dixie
an company. hut Changes should
p, vnde by the Legislature In
a .,.,1 of Attempting TO Take Snap
,ud.nent ON the Companies.
-.. srnouncement from Atlanta that
,srlzs of oil at the Standard OIL Com
.,r,s warehouses in Savannah had been
4 ,,.5 nv col John Screven, the local Gil
..osctor. and held 10 await the further
.1sr Of the commissioner of agriculture.
,.ss no surprise here. 1t has been sus-
r,,ted for some time that something of
mo kind would develop
4 al screven, when asked about the re-
sot Of his Inspections before his depart
,. -or Atlanta, declined to give out any
*ict,rmation. saying that he preferred that
"a m information on this subject should come
d ram the commissioner. He stated, how
over that no oil had been confiscaled at
&scy,nnah. There is a technical difference,
n however between conhscation and seiz-
n rre the latter being equivalent TO hold
ing under suspicion and forbidding the oil
,om1lnv TO make use of until further or
dsrs Mr. Z. S. Player, the agent of the
Xsandard Oil Company at Savannah, when
seen about the reports, stated positively
hat no oil belonging to the Standard had
been seized at Savannah, and that he nd
rot know of any oil having been seized
here
Mr. PLAYER was in Atlanta yesterday
HAVING gone there to look out for the in
tgasts Of his company. In giving his
ksws upon the new method of inspection
few days ago, he expressed the opinion
That the Standard would not submit to the
Seizure and coniiscation of oils which had
passed The required test under the state
ag and that a fight would certainly be
the result if anything OF the kind should
attempted.
Company, when seen yesterday, expressed
aeeally the same opinion as did Mr..
ZFayer
The oils have passed the test required
by he STATE law" he said, land | do not
st5 how they can be legally seized and
onascatcd. The state should not attempt
20 take snap Judgment upon the oil COM
+ anles If 81 is desired TO change the
q methods Of testing oil, let the matter be
AIKEN before the next legislature and the
Jaw amended. The companies VIII then be
10 on notice and can govern themselves
a0lDinsly"
The law as It stands is a very stupid
Cne said Mr.. Myers. Il would not be sur
Ased 20 learn that it had been framed
lne instance of the agents of the Stand
nd Oh Company. The law requires that
llminatirg OIL must Stand a heat test OF
degrees and yet requires that in III
ecung the inspector must begin flash
ng al 20 degrees and continue flashing at
alefHals Of degrees. The consequence is
nay Tie fourth test brings the inspector
A6' and the NTH test carries him 70
. or 3 degrees more than the law re-
AitS The consequence of this is that il
ds peen presumed that oil was within the
vll.red test even " hen it burned at 1913
cVaed 1t had passed 116 safely. 1t is
ls taat the same oil might
'e burned at III or lis, but
the law requires the inspector
make difference of seven degrees be
Se5a eaeh fash he has no legal right t.
es, at each point after 1l6'
AS matter Of fact" said Mr.. Myers
Illuminating oil that will pass the test at
"IlAout burning is all right. Louis
ana Alabama only require a test of
ussfees and there are no more acct
cUs nom lnferier oil in those states than
Neo.sla. In fact, accidents of this kind
very rare anyway. South Carolina re-
-'eS no inspection and accidents from
ou are as infrequent in that Stale
J." Ieorsa. Any one who will give the
es'oh moments thought will readily
.lal the oil companies cannot afford
rg' dangerous oil on the market The
-a'u Jll Company which handles IS
egut OF the oil produced in the United
~, r 'in Is generally regarded as a typi-
1,I." oPoy IS in great disfavor with the
ry anyway. Should it make a practice
II.l[Aeung dangerous oil with the result
Sbt 1Is'slIous losses to life and property
6igra,"ouid he sure to follow such in
orr's1, would be excited against the
bbidL mat legislation would result
be a Ii'snl work great hardship upon
n. 1,0Hllahy and greatly reduce its pro-
rbios que state attempts TO confscate oils
at MY" nave failed to pass the new test
ss.,s winch had been previously
"a by the inspectors under
y,9 u method of testing there
4A5y to be the liveliest kind
Nj c 5snI The two tanks in the Savannah
ava Jbtpany yards at Savannah, which
D,5ea!$n placed under lock and key by
Me-. screven, are said to be The
as fl, 0l SIX tanks which the company
Esizlrs soIlns Illuminating oil and the
Ince IA l HAely to cause some inconven-
10 the agency here.
IoCAE n.,.,