Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-06-19
LOCKW00D'S HOT ATTACK.
Called Rockefeller a Robber-Scored the
Railroads, Courts and Judges,
Especially Judge HaisR.

Called Rockefeller a Robber-Scored the
Railroads, Courts and Judges,
Especially Judge Haise,.
WASHINGTON, June ID. NJ. Lock
wood, an oil producer of Zeiinople. Pa,
in his testimony before o. industrial
commission Saturday declared that the
Standard Oil company had driven the
independent refineries into bankruptcy.
Going back to 1872, he referred at
length to n contract made by the trunk
lines of Pennsylvania with the South
Improvement company. Under this
contract, he said, the freight rates on oil
We're doubled and one-haf the amount
collected was paid back as a rebate-not
only this, but the contract company re-
ceived like rebate on the shipments OF
all other companies.
This contract, he declared, had been
secretly continued by the railroads with
the Standard Oil company. He quoted
A. j. CasSatt, the new president of the
Pennsylvania Railroad company, as tes-
tifying before the Interstate Railway
commission to the effect that while tine
open rate to the public was S1.90 per
barrel, the rate to the Standard COM
pany was 50 cents.
Further investigation, said Mr.. Lock
wood, had developed the fact that the
railroad companies actually received
only 30 cents. This condition of affairs
had resulted for time, according to the
witness, in giving the Standard COM
pany profit of over 400 per cent,
while the independent refineries We're
being rapidly driven into bankruptcy.
Mr.. Lockwood characterized both the
oil company aud railroad officials as
highwaymen and brigands.
''If you have got to be robbed" he
exclaimed, sit does not matter much
whether you are held up by Dick Tur-
pin with a pistol or by John Rockefel-
Ter with railroad; it is robbery all the
same" He said that men who had
carefully analyzed the testimony taken
before the Hepburn committee esti-
mated that in I6 months time the five
trunk lines of Pennsylvania had paid
the Standard company $l1,O00,00O in
rebates. The railroad companies had,
he said, completely ignored the orders
OF the Interstate commission to cease
their discrimination in favor of the
Standard company, resorting to the
system OF false billing.
Speaking of the remedy for the evil,
Mr.. Lockwood said it was in public
ownership of the railroads and not in
the courts. ''The railroads and the oil
company can razoO a man up and down
i'll the courts for ten years, he said,
until he is ruined financially, and then
60 on with their work, leaving their
victim stranded. AS reward the COM
bines elevate their instruments to higher
places politically. Thus it is that the
thought of the common people is gradu-
ally becoming fixed to the effect that the
great railway combines are gradually
packing the supreme courts with men in
sympathy with their monopolistic tend
encies and who would do their bidding
Thus the Interstate commerce law was
rendered ineffective. Ii the railroad
companies can control the appointment
of the attorney general and justices of
the sapreme court, what do they care
for the law" the witness asked.
At the afternoon session Mr. Farqu-
har protested against a statement of Mr.
Lockwood to the effect that Judge AL
bert Haight of the New York court of
appeals owed his position to the stand
he had taken against the independent
refneries. He afterwards declared that
this statement was inference only
Mr.. Farquhar wanted the testimony
stricken out. Congressman Bell pro-
tested against the elimination of any
testimony. declaring that it was not
within the province of the commission
to tell Il witness what he should say,
Former Congressman Phillips presiding.
held that the testimony was competent