The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-06-18

Washington, June 1.-THE industrial
commission today heard a statement
from L. NJ. Lockwood, an oil producer
of Zelienople. Pa. in opposition to the
Standard Oil trust. Mr.. Lockwood
declared that this combine had driven
the Independent refineries into bank
ruptcy and servitude, and he denounced
the course pursued in severe terms. He
held the railroads especially response
bic for this condition of affairs.
Going back 10 1872 he referred at
length TO a contract made by the trunk
lines of Pennsylvania with the South
Improvement company. Under this
contract, he said, the freight rates on
oil were doubled and half the amount
collected was paid back as rebate. Not
only this, but the contract company
received a like rebate of the shipments
of all other companies. This contract,
he declared, had been secretly con-
tinued by the railroads with the Stand
ard Oil company. He quoted A. j.
Cassatt, the new president of the
Pennsylvania railroad, as testifying
before the interstate railway commit
Tee TO the effect that while the open
rate to the public was $1.90 per barrel,
The rate to the Standard company was
so cents.
Further investigation, said Mr.. Lock
wood, had developed the fact that the
railroad companies actually received
only about 30 cents. This condition of
affairs had resulted for a time. accord
ing to the witness, in giving the
STANDARD company a profit of 400 per
cent, while the independent refinerieS
were being driven rapidly into bank
Iuptcy. Mr.. Lockwood was free in the
use of epithets. characterizing the oil
company and railroad officials as high
waymen and brigands
Robbery All the Same.
IF you have got to be robbed" he
exclaimed, lit does not matter much
whether you are held up by Dick Tur-
pin with "a pistol or by John Rockefel-
Ter with a railroad; ii is robbery all
the same
He said that men who had carefully
analyzed the testimony taken before
the Hepburn committee estimated that
in 1S6 months time the five trunk lines
of Pennsylvania had paid the Standard
company $11 100000 in rebates. The
railroad companies had. he said COM
pletely ignored the order of the indus
trial state commission to stop their
discrimination in favor of the Stand
ard company. reSorting then to the
system of false billing.
Speaking of the remedy for the evil.
Ar. LOCKWOOD Sdlu II Was III puDliN
ownership of the railroads and not TO
be found in courts: the courts were too
slow and expensive. The railroads and
the oil company can ''razoo' a man up
and down in the courts for ten years,
he said until he is ruined. and then go
on with their work, leaving their VIC
tim stranded AS a reward the COM
bines elevate their instruments to
higher places politically. Thus it was
that the thought of the common peo-
pie was gradually becoming fixed 70
The effect that the great railroad COM
bines were gradually packing the su-
nreqne courts with men in sympathy
with their monopOlistic tendencies. and
who would do their bidding. Thus the
Interstate commerce law was rendered
ineffective.
"If the railroad companies can con-
troll the appointment OF the attorney
general and of justices Of the supreme
court what do they care Tor the law
asked the witness.
The Only Safe Plan.
The only safe plan, said Mr.. Lock
wood, was to take the railroads out of
the hands OF the corporations and
place them under control of the gov
ernment. so that every man could 60
TO market as cheaply as every other
man. He considered all the railroads
Of the country as a specially gigantic
trust. and asserted that they were in
control of our politics. contributing
millions 10 elect Legislators, senators
and justices and to punish those not
willing 10 do their bidding. With alb
solute equality over the roads. the in
dependent companies would drive the
Standard company into secondary
place in a short time.
Then. he asserted, there would be no
more shooting down OF striking miners,
oortd GpuH his rpT0GsIcf I
10 market as cheaply as the mine mo-
nopolist So in all other lines. If the
government did not control the roads,
The railroads would control the govern
ruent He advocated the taking of the
roads under the right of way domain,
payine the owners the actual value of
the property.
The afternoon session was character
ized by the development of difficulties
among the members of the commission
as to the amount Of testimony that
should be admitted. Mr. Lockwood
made the statement that Judge Albert
Haight of the New York court of ap-
peals had been elevated to his position
nv the corporations. through the use
of a corruption fund. because of his
action in what was known as the Ma
fbeWs case. a proceeding or a railroad
combination against the independent
refineries. He afterWard said that
while convinced that the effects We're
as he stated. he had not actually seen |
the fund, and. therefore. the statement |
was an inference only
Trouble In the Commission.
At this point Mr.. Farquahar of the |
commission rose TO protest against the |
character of the testimony, saying that |
Judge Haight was his neXt-door neigh !
Dor and one of the purest men he ever |
knew. He had never before heard an |
fmputation upon his character. He |
appealed to Mr.. Lockwood to have the |
datement stricken out of his testi- |
kaony.
1.-The statement" he said. lis not tes-
Amony. but ii is pure libel"
Mr.. Lockwood said that he also knew
Judge Haight, and that he had been