The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-10
OIL MEN D1sCREDTr SEIZURES.
IIspectOr Screven Declines to Say
Anything Further.

Mr. Edgar 5. Player. special agent Of
the STANDARD Oil Company at Savannah
SAYS he does not believe there is any
foundation for the reports sent out from
Atlanta to the effect that 100000 gallons
of oil had been seized by orders Of the
commissioner of agriculture in eight cities
of the state because it had failed to come
up to the tests recently instituted by the
department.
As Savannah has the largest oil depots
of any city in the state and as the stand
ard Oil Company is the largest concern IN
the business it would naturally be suppos-
ed that any such seizure as that reported
would include Savannah and that the
Standard Oil Company would be the chleI
sufferer.
I'VE have had no oil seized here sad
Mr.. Prayer yesterday, and so far as l
know all the oil We have here IS up TO
standard Two of our tanks at Bruins
wick have been held up, that s, we have
been notified not to use any oil from them
until further notice from the depar .ment'
We do not anticipate any trouble. AS q
matter of fact, all our oil was up 20
The standard under the method of testing
required by the state law The new test
which has been recently enforced, as l
understand it, has been devised by the
department on its own motion and dlters
from the test prescribed in the code. we
have no objections TO complying with any
requirement which may be made by the
state All we ask is that We be put on the
same footing as our competitors and given
notice Of the requirement. With the IN
limited facilities at the disposal of the
Standard OH Company it is a very simple
matter for it to comply with the require
ments of the state laws, and it is very
much to its advantage 70 do So as any
reflection upon the character of our pro-
duct which would be the result of seizure
for failure TO comply Wi the law, would
result in loss of patronage"
Having been employed for several
years in the refining department of the
Standard Oil Company previous to coming
to Savannah, l am in position to state
that with the improvements which have
been made in recent years in refining OILS
il is a comparatively easy matter for the
company to produce OILS of the required
standard. There is no saving to the COM
pauy in producing oils of a lower grade.
We sell on the local market here oils Of
1913 and $50 grade at the same price. The
grade does not make the price. There is
a great deal of misconception on this sub
ject The oil of a 123 standard is equally
as safe and is a better burning oil than
the higher grade. We take great care
our oil for any cause, and there has not
been a single complaint made against
our Illuminating oils which was trace
able in the slightest degree TO the grade
since I have been in charge of the agency
or for some time previous thereto. Col.
Screven is entirely correct in stating that
the Savannah market IS supplied with the
best quality of illuminating oil. Il would
be the height of folly for US to attempt 20
deceive the inspectors and f0ist inferior
oils upon the people of the state. The oil
is inspected in the tanks here. When sent
out to our distributing points throughout
the state in tank cars these cars are
again inspected by the local inspectors at
the various points. The oil thus passes a
double inspection before reaching the
hands of the retailer.
Mr. Player said that it is true that
the new method of making tests will rc-
quire a slightly higher grade of oil. Tn
der the old method the inspector began
the flash test at 95 degrees Fahrenheit
and repeated it at each Z degrees until IL
was reached. AS the law only required q
standard of 100 degrees, an oil which only
flashed at 116, but which burned at 1913
was considered by the inspectors as stan.
dard and passed as such Under the new
method introduced by State Chemist Nc,
Candless, oil which flashes in the earlier
stages of the test, must be tested at each
4
mitted that an oil, which, under the Old
test. flashed at 116 and burned at 123 nigh,
also have burned at some point between
116 and 120. The manner of making the
test, however, was prescribed by law. and
when an oil passed lie and burned al 1913
it was considered to be standard.
Mr.. Player stated that there will be an
increase in the market price of water
white kerosene oil to-day from 1114 to 112i
cents. an increase of 16-cent a gallon.
Whether this was because of the recent
change in the test he did not say.
Col. John Screven, inspector of oils at
Savannah, was seen yesterday and asked
for the result of recent inspections made
here. Col. Screven declined 10 give the
results, saying that he preferred that all
information on this subject should come
from the commissioner at Atlanta. Col.
Screven repeated the statement previously
made by him that no oil had been contis-
Gated at Savannah. AS 20 wether any
was under suspicion he declined to say.