The evening times., 1899-12-13
RICE'S CHARGES Denied
A Defence Of the Methods Of the
Standard Oil Company.
Howard Page, Of the Union Tank
Line, Seeks to Refute Statements
of the Independent Rehner Re-
fore the Industrial Commission.
Rates of Railroad Transportation.

Howard Page, of New York, Vice Pres
i supplies all of the cars used by the Stand
ard Oil Company in its transportation bus
mess. testified today before the United
States Industrial Commission. He began
his testimony with denial of the charges
| recently made by George Rice, an inde-
| pendent oil refiner, to the effect that the
| Standard Oil Company used money and
J influence to enlarge its business, and in
matters of securing transportation rates
| favorable to the company.
Mr.. Page declared that since the act
| creating the Interstate Commerce Comfnis-
/ sion the Standard Oil Company had lived
! up to and within the requirements of the
law. He also denied the allegation of Mr..
! Rice that the Standard Oil Company paid
| $250.000 or any other sum to the Cotton
| Seed Oil Trust for copy of their trust
agreement Mr. Page asserted that the
success of Galena oil was entirely due to
its superiority and not to influence. Rail-
| roads found it to be cheaper in the end, al
| though the cost per gallon was higher than
| other oils used for like purposes.
Mr.. Page said that as to the charge that
the rate of transportation over the Penn
sylvania Railroad favored the Standard Oil
company the tIi tOlupdHS pdlu lue same
rate TO the railroad company that other
companies paid. but that the Pipe Line
Company was allowed a share of through
rate. The courts had decided the Pipe Line
TO be a common carrier. he said, and en-
titled TO the same through rates.
Mr.. Page said that Chess, Curly & Co. es-
tablished grocery store TO sell oil in the
South. but that the Standard Oil Company
had nothing 10 do with it, and never had
established a store.
Mr. Page denied the assertion of Mr.
Rice that the Standard Oil Company bought
up the tank cars TO prevent rival compan-
les from securing them. He also denied
that the Standard Oil Company received
months after the passage of the Interstate
Commerce law. He said the Standard
Oil Company shipped by tank cars and
Rice shipped by barrels. Oil, he explained,
could be shipped in tanks cheaper than In
barrels, and railroads made a difference in
the rate for such shipments. This rate.
however. said Mr.. Page. was open TO all
who wanted TO ship in tank cars. Mr..
Page said that there is no charge for re-
turned tank cars; one tank car holds as
much as two box cars loaded with barrels,
therefore tank cars are cheaper for the
railroads TO handle: barrels being an ar
ticle of merchandise railroads charge
freight for their return.
The Standard Oil Company does rot"
said Mr.. Page. name a rate, and send il
to railroads to accept, but the arompany
pays exactly the same rates thai other
concerns pay. The. rates for transporta-
tion here have been the same for heariS
nine years. and the Standard Oil Com
pany never received a commission from a
railroad for its shipments"
During the delivery of this testimony.
Mr.. Page frequently referred to printed
evidence taken in court proceedings at
various times.