The times., 1899-09-10
PHILLIPS ON THE STAND
The Industrial Commissions Pre-
siding Officer a Witness.
In Reply to the Testimony ef n Vice
President of the Standard Oil Com
ciares the Charges Made Against
Hirn Are False and SIanderous.

The session of the Industrial Commission
yesterday was unique in that the principal
testimony was given by one Of its mem
bers. The enquiry into the oil industry
during the past week has been fraught
with personality uncomplimentsry in its na-
ture. The Standard Oil people. who have
given the bulk OF the testimony. have de-
nounced the methcas of the Independent re-
fnsrs and producers and characterized much
of the testimony given before the Commits
sion by representatives of the independent
companies as misleading and false.
request was made by some Of the for
mer witnesses against the trusts TO be
been said against them, The Commission
took the matter under advisement in
protracted executive session yesterday aft
ernoon and decided that il would doubtless
lead to a never ending discussion to allow
witnesses unlimited opportunity to testify
and the following prohib;tory resolution was
adopted:
Resolved. That it is the sense OF this Com
mission that no witness can be heard Il second
time unless TO correct ms former testimony, or
unless such witness be called bef, re the Com
mission 10 give information other lines; but
any witness whose personal chaTacreT or business
integrity may have been attacked before the
Commission shall be granted the privilege OF
submitting a statement with tae CoInm:s-
sion same to be printed with the testimony taken
before the Commission. provided such statements
contain no denominations.
At the executive session yesterday the
following Commissioners were selected to
attend the trust meeting of the Civic Fed
Grafton at Chicago this week: Major Far
quhar business and manufactures Repre-
sentative Often, mining; c. j. Harris.
transportation: Representative Livingston.
agricultural. Prof. jerks will also go 10
Chicago.
The first witness before the Commis-
sion yesterday was Fl. H. Rogers, Presi-
dent of the National Transit Company and
Vice President of the Standard Oil Com
pany, OF New Jersey. Mr.. Rogers testi-
mony was brief and tended mere as sub
sanitation of the previous testimony on
his side of the case. Acting Chairman
Phillips, of the Commission, then took the
stand to reply to charges made against
him by Mr.. Archbold, Vice President Of
the Standard Oil Company in New York.
Mr. Phillips statement was III part as fol-
lows:
Il desire to state to the Commission that.
Mr. Archbcld and another witness have tes-
titled before the Commission that I am
connected with trust. They thus as
sumo that / am here as a member of this
Commission opposing trusts. thus giving
the impression that I have preJudged the
case by alleging that am connected with
a trust am free to state that l am con-
nected with a corporate organization, the
object of which is to combine several in
terests in the same company. organized
under the laws OF New Jersey. and called
the Pure Oil Company. This company has
a fraction over one-half of its stock in the
shape of voting trust.
Shortly after the formation OF this COM
pany, the Stat Hard Oil Trust. through ono
of its affiliated companies, commenced TO