New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-12
INDUSTRIAL COMBINATIONS.
INVESTIGATION OF TRUSTS BEGUN.

INVESTIGATION OF. TRUSTS BEGUN
THE INDUSTRIAL COMMISSION HEARS TESTIMONY
AGAINST THE STANDARD OIL COMPANY:
Washington May 1.-THE Industrial Commission
to-day heard the first witness to be called III Gun.
nection with it's inquiry into the operations va
trusts The witness was James W. Lee. oi no
burg attorney for several pipeline ana OIL cum
NAMES and formerly a State Senator OF FeiihsSi
wanna Mr. Lees testimony was directed espe 49,.
against the Standard Oil Company ne sa'' "
aim Of the trust to get compete n'o,0rs
Of business fixing the price as IL P'eas1u r,,,s
leaving little or no profit to the producer In nus
to ia asserted that the Standard OIL COM
ranv had maintained the price paid Tor cruue vi
at & cents a barrel for year; that TOT 'e" "a
before 1885 the price paid had aVeraseu on.
cents a barrel, whereas the average coS' "a p
auction was not less than 81. He also eAp,esneu
,ha opinion that the counties IN fehnsS "
rh,ob had nroduced all the oil turned out IN 'nd'
state amounting to about @OococW barrels were
worse off for the output. Still. there were sumo
wells which were largely remunerauVe' ""o W
their high degree OF productiveness' AS lia' maj
Of fact however, many Of the wells prouuceu NJ
or the 60 900 wells in operation. 5000 produced iess
-, haif n barrel n day each. He thought IL
there had been fifty refners instead of the stand
ard company the market would nave peen just 90
extensive the consumer would have secured MS
oil as cheaply. and the producer would nave oeeh
much better of. w.,
where has the balance gomez asked Mr.. Liv-
ingston.
II think" the witness replied, 1.-THE STANDARD VII
Company could explain that. The understanding
&c that n has realized about s5oo,ooo ooo'
Mr. Lee was confident that the general erect Oh
trusts was Injurious 10 labor. The erect ne sa'u'
was to deprive laborers OF competition or chance
for employment when thrown out or WORK anu 10
make them subservient and poorer citizens speak
ing of the Standard company's treatment OF ms
eInploves he said they were well paid, ana a. Ger
tain class OF them received high salaries sun, wy
ultimate effect OF any monopoly must DE- injurious
TO labor. ..z NJ LA
As means for prevention Of trusts MI. Lee
suggested a law making destructive cor
criynnal offence He thought the fear or lInpriSon
ment would ntmidate some OF them. NoIhlhs nau
done so much as destructive competition 10 p'be
vent progress and fairness The law couIu ,,o Uo
passed by the States and IN case Oh PS as e,i
dence He would also suggest that me caPea ~ 81 %
ali corporations. except those or puDc or no "
puhlic nature should be limited TO sl,VOHon ne
thought that something Of this KIND was neces-
saTv and that II remedy not FOUND the
country would be ruined by combinations OF capl,al
detrimental 70 the public interests Ohoer tne
present conditions personal ambltlon was stnieu,
and many men were being kept out or business
because OF the existence Of these combinations
The Industrial Commission has DECIDED 10 posi-
pone the calling Of several witnesses IN CONNECTION
with its INQUIRY into trusts who were 70 nave oeen
heard this week and next because II has not yet
Witnesses are Henry o. Havemeyer who was TO
have been heard tomorrow IN support OF ne m
Sugar Trust and Messrs. J. b. Arbuckle, j. "a.
POST and Charles Doscher In opposition 10 Ibis
understanding now is that all these will appear
M