The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-05-17
STANDARD OIL
Gets Whirl Before Industrial Com
mission Yesterday,

mission cStcruay.
WASHINGTON, May 1G. = Attorney
General Frank S. Monnctt. of Ohio, was
before the Industrial commission to-day
as witness In the trust Investigation.
His testimony related almost exclu-
slvcly to the Standard Oil trust. against
which he had been proceeding In his Of
t!cial capacity In Ohio After detailing
the particulars of the suits against the
Standard company. brought on behalf
of the state Of Ohio, Mr.. Monnett said
the companies comprising the trust
were so distributed us to control all the
operations pertaining to the produc-
tion, transportation, refining and dcliv-
cry Of oil in Ohio. including even It's
own telegraph system. Mr.. Monnett
complained OF discrimination In tcle-
graph and railroad rates In favor of
the Standard company tank lines, say
Ing that In the latter II was equal to
400 per cent. against the ordinary citi-
zen. Mr.. Monnett gave figures showing
that the capitalization OF the twenty
companies comprising the trust amount
cd in the aggregate to Sl02, 2S3, 600 and
the valuation Sl21 ,G3l. 900. He said the
trust could make Its dividends what
ever II desired. as 1t controlled COM
pletcly the retail price of oil.
Mr.. Monnett told OF the distribution
of the stock of the trust, saying that
the trustees held iG6.2s0 OF the 100000
shares. and that John D. Rockefeller,
rs chairman Of the trustees, held ma
Jorlty OF the stock thus distributed. CIV
Ing him the balance OF power, making it
practically n One-man power. MI Mon
nett said the original value of the plant
OF the trust was S97,250, 900, but this fig
ure should now be multiplied by five.
Mr.. Monnett insisted that the way to
control the trusts was to control the
transportation companies. which, he
thought, the courts could do, and II the
courts could not do this the charters
OF the roads should be taken from
them.
1.-THE attorney general OF New Jersey
could secure regulation of this dis
elimination within sixty days II he
would take 1t In hand" said the wit
ness.
Speaking OF the earnings OF the oil
trust, Mr.. Monnctt estimated that the
gross receipts were Sl2O.0O0.O00 on the
Ohio product alone. and he said that
ull WIS UTpHt over cents n HlllOn on
refined oil. He placed the value of the
earnings of the company per year as
Erentcr than the value of all the farm
products In The state.
At tho afternoon session of the COM
mission Mr.. Monnctt said In response
to n question from Commissioner Ken
ncdy that he did not wish to enter on
n discussion OF the charge that the
Standard OIL company had been guilty
OF attempts nt bribery to prevent judi
clal investigation, as that matter was
nt present under investigation by the
Ohio supreme court These proceedings
doubtless would bring out Nil the facts
and later he would supply the data to
the committee. He could. however. tcs-
tify TO the fact that the company had
secured the service OF railroud agents
all over the country to report on the
movements OF their rivals and he knew
or one Instance In which the clerk OF
rival concern had been employed to sup
ply the details Of his company's opera
,Ions to the Standard company. Tho
company hnd It's "buzzarts' every
where. They were appointed to follow
the wagons OF rivals and secure data
upon which the company could operate.
When rivals were driven out Of field
by reducing rates the prices immcdiatc-
ly went up.