The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-06-20
ROCKEFELLER Or TUnPEN,

noSAEkELLER OK TUHPENf
The Question Of Preference by Which
90 be Kobbed-Workings Of the stand
ard Oil Company.
Washington, June 1.-THE Industrial
commission today heard a statement
from L. NJ. lockwood, an oil producer
of Zeiienpole. Penn, in opposition to the
clared that this company had driven the
Independent refineries into bankruptcy
and servftude and he denounced the
> course pursued in severe terms. He
held the railroads especially responsible
for this condition Of affairs. Going back
TO 1872 he referred at length to a con-
tract made by the trunk lines OF
Pennsylvania with the South Improve
ment Company. Under this contract
he said, the freight rates on oil were
doubled and one-half the amount col
lected was paid back as rebate not
only this, but the contract company re-
ce1Veo a like rebate on the shipments
of all other companies. This contract
he declared, had been secretly continu-
ed by the railroads with the Standard
OH Company. He quoted A. j.. Casset,
the new president of the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company, as testifying be-
fore the interstate railway commission
. to the effect that while the open rate
to the public was $1.90 per barrel the
rate to the Standard Oil Company was
so cents. Further investigation, said
Mr.. Lockwood, had developed the fact
that the railroad companies actually re-
ceived only 80 cents. This condition of
affairs has resulted for time, accord
ing TO the witness, in giving the Stand
ard Oli Company profit of 400 per
cent, while the independent refineries
vn1~a irnCr ~ H. l.
ruptcy.
Mr.. Lockwood was free in the use of
epithets, characterizing both the oil
company and railroad officials as high
waymen and brigands. eff you have
got to be robbed he exclaimed, cit
does not matter much whether you
are held up by Dick Turpen with a pis-
tol or by John Rockefeller with a rail-
road, it is robbery all the same
He said that men who had carefully
analyzed the testimony taken before
the Hepburn committee, estimated that
in sixteen months time the five trunk
lines of Pennsylvania had paid to the
Standard Oil Company $11 0OO,OO in re-
bates. The railroad companies had, he
said, completely ignored the orders of
the Interstate commerce commission
to cease their discrimination in favor of
the Standard Oil Company resorting
to the system of false billing.
Speaking of the remedy for the evil,
Mr.. lockwood said it was in public
ownership OF the railroads and it was
not to be found in the courts-the courts
were too slow and expensive. He con-
sidered all the railroads of the coun-
try as practically one gigantic trust and
asserted that they were in control of
our politics, contributing millions to
elect legislators, senators and judges
and to punish those not willing to do
their bidding
The afternoon session was character
lied by the development of differences
among the members of the commission
as to the character of testimony that
should be admitted
Mr.. Lockwood made the statement
that Judge Haight, Of the New York
court of appeals, had been elevated to
his present position by the corporations
through the use of a corruption fund
because of his action in what is known
as the Matthews case, a proceeding of
the railroad combination against the
independent refiners. He afterwards
said that while convinced the facts
were as he had stated, he had not actu-
ally seen the fund, therefore, the state
ment was an inference only.
y At this point Mr. Farquhar, of the
commission, protested against the char
acter Of the testimony, saying that
Judge Haight was his next door neigh
Dor and one of the purest men he had
ever known. !. He had never heard an
imputatiOn upon his character Mr.
Lockwood said that he also knew
Judge Haight and that he had been
surprised at the apparent developments
The issue had been raised in the cam
paign and he had understood that he
ran behind his ticket
After few general remarks by other
members OF the commission as to the
advisability Of striking out the entire
statement, Congressman Bell made
vigorous protest against the demand to
eliminate any of the testimony. 1t was
not, he said, the province of the COM
mission to tell a witness what he must
say. He said he had noticed that some
members of the commission were very
sensitive when something was said
which did not entirely fall in with their
predictions.
Former Congressman Philips presid-
ing, said that the testimony was COM
petent.
In his statement before the commits
sion yesterday, President c. E. Dove,
president of the Travellers Association,
submitted figures to show that the Or
ganlzatIOn of the trusts had resulted
in throwing $4,000 statesmen out of en-
ployment and in reducing the salaries
of 25,O0O more. He estimated that the
annual loss to the statesmen on account
of loss Of employment and reductions
aggregated $4,000, 900; to the hotels
SZS,OOO,00O and to the railroads s27 ,00O,-
900, because of the loss of patronage
w. NJ. Gallagher. Of Bryan, Pa, says:
For forty years I have tried various
cough medicines. One Minute Cough
Cure is best of ALL" 1t relieves instant