New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-06-18
INVESTIGATION OF TRUSTS.
STANDARD OIL AND THE RAILROADS
BITTERLY DENOUNCED. ~
TESTIMONY OF AN INDEPENDENT PRO
pucER BEFORE THE INDUSTRIAL CON-
MIssIoN-JUDGE ALBERT HAIGHT
nE,EENDED.
ACCUSED AND DEFENDED.

MIsSIoN-JUDGE ALBERT HAlGHr
ACCUSED AND DEFENDED.
Washington. June 1.-THE Industrial Commission
to-day heard a statement from j. M LOCKWOOD an
oil producer of Zelenople Penn. in opposiuoh "
the Standard Oil Company. Mr.. LOCKWOOD declare"
that this company had driven the Independent re-
fneries into bankruptcy and servitude. ana ne oe-
nounced the course pursued in severe terms he
held the railroads especially responsible for TINS
condition of affairs Going back 1872 he referred
at Length to a contract made by the trunk lines OF
PENNSYLVANIA with the South Improvement com
pany Under this contract. he said. the freisht
rates on oil were doubled. and one-half the amount
collected was paid back a rebate; not only this
hut the contract company received a like rebate on
the shipments OF all other companies This con-
tract he declared, had been secretly continued oy
the railroads with the Standard Oil Company. lie
quoted A. J. Cassatt the new president OF the PENN
sylvanla Railroad Company. as testifying pefore
the Interstate Commerce Commission TO the enect
that while the open rate the public was u W
per barrel the rate TO the Standard company was
50 cents Further investigation, MT LOCKWOOD
said had developed the fact that the railroad com
panies actually received only 50 cents THIS conan
tion of affairs had resulted for time, according 10
the witness in giving the Standard company
profit of 400 per cent. while the Independent renn-
cries were being rapidly driven into bankruptcy.
Mr. Lockwood was free in the use OF epithets'
characterizing both the oil company and the rail-
road officials as highwaymen and brigands III you
have got 10 be robbed" he exclaimed ut does not
matter much whether you are held up by DICK
Turpin with a pistol or John Rockefeller with
railroad-it is robbery all the same
He said that men who bad carefully analyzeo
the testimony taken by the Hepburn committee
estimated that in sixteen months the five trunk
lines Of Pennsylvania had paid the standard com
pany Sl,OOO 900 In rebates. The railroad companies
had he said. completely ignored the orders OF the
Interstate Commerce Commission TO cease their
30 ndQ Td
resorting then to the system OF false billing
Speaking of the remedy for the evil. Mr.. Lock-
wood said It was in public ownership Of the rail-
roads and II not to be found In the courts-'he
courts were too slow and expensive. The rairoaos
and the oil company razoo man up and down
in the courts for ten years" he SAID unth ne
is ruined financially. and then go on with their
work leaving their victim stranded. AS reward
the combines elevate their instruments TO hlgher
places politically. Thus IL was that the thought OF
the common people gradually becoming hxed
10 the effect that the great railway combines were
gradually packing the Supreme Courts with men
IN sympathy with their monopollstc tendencies
and who would do their bidding Thus the Inter-
state Commerce law rendered Ineffective
II the railroad companies control the sp-
pointment OF the Attorney-General and OF Justices
OF the Supreme Court what do they care for the
law? the witness asked. The only safe plan. said
Mr. Lockwood was TO take the railroads out OF the
hands Of the corporations and place them under
control OF the Government, so that every man
could go to market cheaply as every other man.
He considered all the railroads of the country as
practically one gigantic trust. and asserted that
they in control Of politics. contributing mill
ions to elect legislators Senators and judges and
10 punish those not willing 10 do their bidding
With absolute equality the roads the indie
pendent companies would drive the Standard COM
pany into secondary place in short time. There
would then, he asserted, be no more shooting down
striking could
product to market cheaply the mine monop-
olist So in all other lines of business II the Gov
eminent did not control the railways, the railways
would control the Government
He advocated the taking Of the roads under the
right of eminent domain. paying the owners the
actual value Of their property.
ACCUSATIONS AGAINST JUDGE HAIGHT.
The afternoon session of the Commission
characterized by the development of differences
among the members Of the Commission to the
character of testimony that should be admitted
Mr.. Lockwood made the statement that Judge AL
bert Halght Of the New-York Court Of Appeals
had been elevated to his present place by the cor
porations through the OF corruption fund. be-
cause OF his action in what is known the
Matthew case-a proceeding of the railroad CON-
bination against the independent refiners He
afterward said that, while convinced the facts
were as he stated he had not actually seen the
fund. and therefore the statement was an inference
only
At this point Mr. Farquhar OF the Commission
rose 10 protest against the character Of the test.
mony, saying that Judge Haight was his next-door
neighbor and one Of the purest men he had ever
known. He had never before heard an imputation
upon his character. He appealed to Mr. Lockwood
TO have the statement stricken out OF his testi-
mony. The statement" he said. was not testi-
mony. but 1t was pure libel"
MT Lockwood said that he also knew Judge
Haght. and that he had been surprised at the APP
parent developments The issue had been raised in
the campaign, and he had understood that the
Judge ran behind his ticket
After few general remarks by other members Of
the Commission TO the ACCESSIBILITY of striking
out the entire statement. Congressman Bell rose
aiiu mace vigorous protest against the attempt
eliminate any Of the testimony. Ii was not he
eald. the province of the Commission to tell a wit
ness what he must say. He had noticed that some
members OF the Commission sensitive when
something was said which did not entirely fail in
win their predictions. 1t perfectly eompe-
on any Of these subjects and to advance them or
70 criticise public officials He said that Governor
judges on the Supreme Court bench who were put
mere FOR the purpose OF securing the notification
OF me Granger law. He also cited other cases In
which the railroads were said to have secured the
appointment Of judges whose sympathies were
barred from saying so? And il the Commission
was not going TO permit such testimony he would
be compelled to say when 1t came 10 making the
report that IL had not been non- partisan AS an
other Illustration OF manipulations the part of
the railroads he quoted Republican member Of
that its proceedings would come 10 naught be,
cause the Second Assistant Postma ster- General
VINO has charge OF these matters, in sympathy
with the railroads. A man was not sacred he de-
clared, because Of the place he occupied and II a
rupt means 1t was not the duty of the Commission
10 screen him.
Ex.congressman Phillips: who presided held that
In his statement before the Commission yester-