The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-06-09
STANDARD OIL METHODS
As Revealed by a Former Servant
Of the Trust.
THE CRUSHING OF COMPETITION.

Four Nominal Grades of OIL Takel
From the Same Tank and severa
Different Prices Charged For tn,
Same Grade.
Washington, June 9.-The industria
commission yesterday resumed its in,
vestlgation of trusts, the Standard Oh
company receiving especial attention
Mr. w. H. Clark, of Ohio, who until
last February was employed by the
| STANDARD 0il company in various towns
IN that state, but was then suspended
testified that while employed at Mari
etta the Standard ousted other COM
panfes from the business by competi-
ton and then put UP the price of oil.
he said that eight nominal grades of
OIL were sold out Of only two tanks,
the faucet being turned in different d.
rections for different grades. This
was done, ne said, under inst ructions
from the managers for the Standard
company, Messrs, Matthews and Hol-
lingsworth. Mr.. Clark also said that
the company bought and sold turpen-
tine, but before selling it would put
SIX or seven gallons of gasoline in each
barrel of turpentine.
AT Columbus Mr.. Clark was the
cashier Of the Standard company. At
that point. he said, much of it was
adulterated For instance, miners oil
was made by mixing in little cot
tonseed oil. Here the Standard com.
pany started what was called the
Shoemaker Oil company. This was a
purely Standard establishment, he tes-
titled, It's men being paid by the Stand
ard company, but it was made to ap-
pear to be an independent concern, and
was used as a blind.
At Springfield, Mr.. Clark said, he
was a wagon salesman, and the in
structlons there were to get trade re-
sardless of the price. Some refined oil
was sold as low as four cents and
mere also as many as four nominal
grades OF oil were taken from one
tank. Rebates were made when neces-
sary. When he had spoken to tho
management of the dishonesty of these
practices he had been told that it was
not for him to say about such mat
tsrs, but to do what he was told.
AT urbana, he said, he was manager
1or the Standard company. Here
competitor was driven out by threat
TO force the price down to one cent a
gallon. The competitor afterward went
to the poorhouse. Witness for a time
was manager at Newark. Here the
work was very hard because of the
great range of prices. There were 25
different figures used there. One man
would get oil for seven cents, while
his next door neighbor would pay nine
ana one-half cents. Rebates also were |
given to especially favored patrons.
Ihese were made under the instruc-
tions of Mr. B. A. Matthews, as were
all changes in price or terms.
The witness testified that at Newark
The company bought building from
over a leEser's head, who was doing a
competitive business, and Mr.. Clark,
with other men, went into the building
IN the absence of the competitor, load
I'd the building on carts and carried it
away. For this he (Mr. Clark) was
and was to have been
'ewarded with two weeks vacation,
while the competitor was so frightened
hat he went out of business. This
vas not accomplished, however, until
vi his customers had been located by
boy employed to follow his wagon on
bicycle. At Newark customer
wanted oil from Cleveland He was
atisfied by supplying him out of
arrel painted and marked as if from
'leveland. He received the same oil.
oWever, that other people got.
The witness said that laborers for
ne Standard company were generally
aid Is cents day, and that they
'orked on an average of 12 hours a I
ay.
There was, he said, often difference
two cents a gallon in the prices Of =
ii between places where there was :,
ompetitlon and places where there O
as none. =