The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-09-13
STANDARD OIL SCORED
LEWIS EMERY's TESTIMONY BEFORE
THE INDUSTRIAL COMMISSION.
He Says the Great OIL Company Was
Built I'D by Railways Which Dis
eliminated in Rates.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 1.-THE entire ses-
sion of the industrial commission to-day was
occupied in hearing the conclusion of the
testimony of former State Senator Lewis
Emery, of Bradford, Pa. Mr.. Emery Is an
independent refiner, and was on tbs stand
yesterday. He took as his text the general
charge that discrimination in railroad rates
was the basis of monopoly, and charged
that. it was through this agency that the
Standard Oil trust had been created. AL
though the old contracts for rebates had
been nullified by the interstate-commerce
act, he charged that the same system was
substantially in effect to-day. If the books
of the railroads could be produced in court
all he said could be proved He gave an
interesting account of the building of the
pipe line by the United States Pipe Line
Company in 1s9O-1s91, describing I'm detail
the innumerable obstacles placed in it's path
by the Standard and how they had been
overcome. Every point had been contested
In the courts. Agreements with railroads.
he charged, had been violated under the
pressure of the Standards influence. In
New Jersey several pitched battl" had oc-
Cured but in spite of all the Ii. finally
made its connection with the Jersey Central
fifty miles from New York. recent court
decision, he said, would, however, compel
the company to go back to Philadelphia, so
that in the end the railroads had proved an
effective barrier to competition.
Mr.. Emery said ne was now interested in
the Pure Oil Company which, he insisted.
was not trust. In this connection he said
a great injustice had been done to Repre-
sentative Phillips, member of the commits
sion, who had been represented by former
witness, Mr.. Archbold, as having attempted,
on behalf of the Pure Oil Company. to eff
feet a combination with the Standard. Mr..
Phillips had never favored such combina-
ton.
Asked as to his attempt to secure the en-
actment of a free pipe line bill through the
New Jersey Legislature, Mr. Emery stated
that his experience had been so disgraceful
] in New Jersey that he was ashamed to tell
it, Mr.. Emery produced a contract made
between the Pennsylvania Railroad and an
oil company in 1884. which, he claimed,
proved that the railroad company kept the
rate for oil transportation up to As cents
per barrel in return for the business Of haul
Ing the by products-benzine, gasoline, tar.
etc. which could not be pumped to the
seaboard, thus giving the company the pow
er to pipe it's petroleum through for 10
for independent shppers to- Compete BY raii
road. He said there was inferential proof
that the same sort of contracts existed to-
existing state Of affairs in the government
ownership of all transportation facilities,
water as well as railroad Discrimination
in transportation rates to favored shippers
against the general public was. he said. the
foundation OF many Of the most burden
some trusts.
Senator Emery is the last Of the trust
witnesses who will be heard this month.
There will be only two more witnesses In
connection with the Standard Oil Company.
They are to be heard next month. John ID.
Rockefeller, president of the Standard Oil
Company. is one OF them and George Rice,
whose complaint was made the basis of the
action of the Ohio courts against the Stand
ard Oil Company, will be the other. Seven
or eight other days of next month will be
given up to taking testimony in connection
with other industrial combinations, for in
stance, the whisky and steel trusts. Samuel
p. Gompers, the president of the American
Federation of Labor, and Hon. T. V. Pow
derby, the commissioner of immigration, are
among those who will be heard this week
They will testify on general labor topics
and on immigration. Hon. John Wanna
maker, of Philadelphia, has been invited to
appear this month on the subject of the
relation Of department stores to industry
Oh