The Elbert County tribune., 1899-05-18
WASHINGTON GOSSIP
AND DEPARTMENT NEWS.

nrooospd amounts practically TO an nti-
,onomous system, and II Is believed
hera that it will be acceptable to tls~
natives. The proposed government "
-, continue only until the Congress of
tho limited States shall decide upon the
form OF government for the Islands.
The Industrial commission on Thurs
dny heard the first witness to be called
in connection with its inquiry into the
oneration OF trusts. The witness wnJ
Hon. lanes W. Lee OF Pittsburg, nt-
toruey for several pipe lines and oil
companies and formerly state sena-
TOR of Pennsylvania. Mr.. Lees test-
mony was directed especially against
the Standard OIL Company lie said
that when the Pure Oil Company. III
which the witness is Interested, wehi
into the field I'm New York in 1S9d they
ronnd the Standard selling oil at 9E
cents gallon. The price was almost
Immediately reduced to 5Ia cents, and
had remained there since. the object
beInp TO drive out the rival. The frst
nriee was Inordinately high. but the
iatter was ruinously low. and while the
independent company had met tne re
duction IL had done SO at loss. liz
Thought the competition had resulted
in saving of fully S3.000.OOO to the
people of Greater New York. The same
condition of affairs existed Mt competi-
five points Mr.. Lee expressed the
opinion that the Standard Company
was still getting rebates from the rnii-
road companies despite the law. ana
he thought this was accomplished py
paying exorbitant prices for iubricai-
iny oil He estimated That the Stand
ard Company had within the last TWEEN
ty wears absorbed npout 100 independ
emf companies. but that the companies
with which lie was connected had re-
fused TO sell at an advance of 121a per
cent In cost when they were about TO
he closed by the sheriff. This refusal
had been directed largely by sentiment
Now, however. the independent com
panies were doing profitable DUST
ness. He knew OF several reiinerles
which had been purchased at high
prices by the Standard company and
then had been shut down. He had also
heard that men had received bonus
to remain idle. but he had no personal
information on this subject.
The United States and Great Britain
will stand together In the advocacy of
the adoption of n scheme for the settle
ment of international disputes by ar
bitration which will be presented to
the disarmament conference at It's
meeting mt The Hague on the 10th of
the present month. The American
delegates. headed by Ambassador
White, are equipped with fairly well
digested plan for the execution of
this long-chcrished project, while the
British delegates are prepared with a
plan which Is almost identical with the
American project. The details cannot
be procured for publication in advance
of the presentation of the projects 10
! the conference. The American dele
gates 20 committed to this arbitration
project much more strongly than to
anything likely to figure before the
conference. Regarding disarmament.
their instructions are 10 tell the CON
ference that the present armament of
the United States and any within the
possibilities of the future, are so far be-
low the present minimum nrmaments
with which any of the great powers of
Europe are likely TO be content that
| there Is really no reason why the
| United States should be called into
the agreement. Other points upon
which the delegates have been instruct
ed are correctly referred to In the cable
dispatches this morning. namely. the
exemption from seizure of individual
property and the extension of the Red
Cross rules TO warlike operations nt
sea. Another point In the instruc.
tions is that relating to the amelIora-
tion of the horrors of war, and with
this. too. the American Delegates are
deeply concerned. II was because OF
the Presidents interest in this subject
MS much as for any reason, that the two
technical experts. Captain Mahan and
| Captain CrOZier. We're included In the
American delegation. and the State De.
partment encourages hope that some.
thing in this direction will be accom-
| plished at the approaching confer
| eDce,