Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-09
DRIVEN FROM TRADE
Oppression by the Standard
Oil Company.
COMPETITORS FORCED TO TIE WALL
Testimony Before the Industrial
Commission.
THE STORY OF W. H. CLARK

The industrial commission heard the testi-
| mony of w. H. Clark, for twelve years an
employe of the Standard Oil Company, yes
| terday afternoon after The Stars report
| closed. His connection with the Standard
Oil Company ceased last February.
Mr.. Clark said he had begun his connec-
| ton with the STANDARD Oil Company as an
office boy. He was employed later in
Springfield, Ohio as a cooper, and while
| there he was told how to sell different
grades of oil out of the same tank.
While at Springfield we sold as many
as four grades Of oil from the same tank"
he remarked.
TIL ere were two storage tanks while he
was at Marietta, and from them eight
grades of oil Were sold. There was about
a half a cent difference in the prices of
the so-called different grades Of oil, al
though they were all drawn from but two
Hollingsworth and Manager Matthews
Their instructions were to give the pur-
chaser whatever he wanted
AT Springfield they had competition from
the company controlled by Mr.. Chas. Lud-
low and also another company.
Prof. Jenks-"In meeting this competition
did you sell Oil at prices you supposed were
below COST"
Mr.. CIark-'In case We had to, we would
sell as low cents a gallon. Our In
structions were to get trade without regard
to prices
Mr.. Kennedy-"How long were you en-
gagged in the work of selling several grades
of oil out of the same tank?'
Mr.. Clark-"About seven years"
Mr.. kennedy-"Did you feel that you were
engaged in dishonest work while You We're
doing that?"
Mr.. Clark-"I told them about it, and they
! said 1t was for me to do what they told
Mr.. kennedy-"Did they compensate you
weN?"
Mr. Clark-"When I was in Springfield I
| got $50 a month. and went to work at 4
| O clock in the morning. sometimes working
| until II O'Clock at night"
| Prof. Jenks-"How did you happen to
| leave Springf1eld?"
| Tricks of the Trade.
Mr.. Clark-"Mr. Matthews raised my sal
| airy and sent me to be cashier at $40 a
| month at the works in Columbus, ONO.
| There | took charge of all the money and
| Kept account of Oil furnished for mixing
the different grades If person wanted
| boiled oil, we had no means of boiling 1t, so
| we heated it and put some drier in and
| called it boiled oil. We made miners oil
| by mixing three barrels of cotton seed OIL
| with Two barrels Of miners stock. me OIL
| flee there was the head of that division,
and all oil sold throughout that district
| was shipped from Columbus. We also sold
| Gil for rubbing furniture, golden machlne
| and extra golden machine. We branded me
oil to make whatever kind we wanted, anu
| sold it accOrdingly.3
| Willie at Cleveland they sold oil at a
| cent gallon less than in other places on
| account of competitors being there. one
| E w Shoemaker had formed in Cleveland
| the Shoemaker Oil Company, and had was-
| ons upon the street delivering his oil
| marked Shoemaker Oil Company" but
| Shoemaker bought his oil from the Stand
| I'd
| be a competitor of the Standard oil. Mr..
| Matthews, the manager, told him that he
| vas to sell oil. and if there was loss he
| would share 1t. Thu witness said that the
| bookkeeper of Shoemaker & Co. boarded
at the house in which he lived, while he,
| the witness, was employed by the Stand
! ard Oh Company as bookkeeper He
! said they were both receiving their
| pay from the Standard Oil Com
| pany He also said that Shoemaker
| himself received a salary from tha Stand
| ard Oil Company. He said that Mr. Mat
| thews bad sworn TO that dining the inVes-
| tieation befor. Mr.. Mornett at Columbus.
| The business done by the Shoemaker COM
| pany al times amounted 10 seven or eight
| hundred dollars a day.
| The witness read d letter which he SAID
| had been sent 10 him. and was signed by
| Mr.. Matthews, instructing him to find out
| what parties were buying All OF part OF
| their oil outside of thu Standard Oil Com
| pany, and t. furnish him the list. This
| list was called the competition list"
| Blank forms were given him on which this
| informa tion was 20 be furnished. It was tn cir
| business to find out from purchasers what
| they had paid for oil. He employed a boy
| in Springfield, and paid him S15 a mouth to
| follow around the wagon as oil was sold.
! He was at Columbus from Marcn 20 until
| December is, wh=n he WaS promoted to be
| the manager at tIb@na, and such mana
| ger he had full charge of the company 5
| business at that place, receiving his direc-
tons from Nj. Matthews.
| The witness continued:
| Drove Man Out of Business.
AT Urbana Mr.. Helm OK, whose father
| had been in the oil business in that town
| previously, began to deal in oil. He had
| been left money by his father ami had
| bought a farm. but being unsuccessful with
| 1t, he sold ii and moved 70 tom. l went to
| see MIR. Helmck, and lried to scare him