West Virginia daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1894-1902, 1902-02-27

/ desired this, DuI expressly StdtSu
to them that If theyNinsisted upon
1t as a condition I would not sell.
This appears In the sworn testimo-
nv before the industrial commits
sion.
"Mr. William Rockefeller was
not present at any time during the
negotiations for the sale of the
property, nor when 1t was con-
cluded, and do not recall ever
having met him. He cannot, there
fore, have any personal knowledge
as to the truth of the statements
made by him.
"Mr. Rockefeller's own state
ment as to what / would have
made on a $45o, 900 investment In
their stock, In about ten years, to
wit: $2,4I5,ooo, had I retained It,
shows the TRUSTS unjust and un-
fair profits. This could only have
been realized by levying tribute on
the producer, and extorting from
the consumer. This statement by
Mr.. Rockefeller Is the most conclu-
sive proof that If the people are to
be protected, that such trusts as
this one should be most rigldly re-
stricted as to their monopolistic
power"
Pat Boyle of the Standard Trusts
Oil City Organ" pays his respects
to Mr.. Phillips In the usual lengthy
TRADE of which the following Is
only portion.
"Mr. Phillips Is still connected
with trust-the Pure OIL COM
pany. The trouble with his latest
trust Is that 1t never has paid any
dividends nor increased the value
of oil single penny to the average
oil producer. To be sure, Mr..
Phillips and a few of his friends
have been benefciaries to the ex'
sent of a few cents a barrel at vari-
Gus times, but this has been invari-
ably at the expense of the pipe liue
divisions of the Pure Oil Trust.
The odd pennies were cut off the
price of the pipe line charges, d.
minishing to that extent the earn
ings of the line. They, In no sense,
were derived from the ability of
the Pure OIL Trust to realize a
higher market for the product than
that could be obtained by the
Standard OIL company. Mr..
Phillips attempts at competition
have all resulted most unhappily,
and there Is little wonder that his
feelings are lacerated when he con.
templates the profits that might
have been his had he refused to
listen to the fattering inducements
of the professional Standard-haters
and political agitators.
Last of all, Mr.. Phillips declares
that Mr.. Rockefeller's own state.
ment as to what he would have
made had he kept the Standard oil
stock In his possession Is an evil
dence of unjust and unfair profits
on the part of the Standard. He
then reiterates his old and oft re.
peated charge about levying tribute
on the producer and extorting
money from the consumer. Mr..
Phillips own experience ought to
guard him against believing in this
sort of rot. He Is interested In
pipe lines, and has found out, to
his own cost, that the price for
services performed by them Is not
extortionate. His line has never
made a dollar at this price, nor
does 1t stand much of a show for
making any. Does Mr.. Phillips
know of any organization that Is
willing to take the oil from the pro-
ducers' tanks and deliver it to the
refners tor less than the Standard
lines are doing 1t? If the producer
Is being robbed by not obtaining
more money for his oil, why doesn't
the Pure Oil Trust raise the price?
If the consumer Is charged extor-
tionate prices for refined oil. why
doesn't the Pure OIL Trust sell It's
product at lower figures than the
market quotations."
1t Is our opinion that too much
space Is wasted. both on Mr.. Phil
lips and his interview and Boyles
eulogistic vaporings with reference
to the Standard Oil Trust. ALI such
twaddle as Boyle gives, Is calcutta
ted to draw the attention to the
very, very bad Pure Oil company
and the very, very good Standard
Oil Trust. Putting them all In a
bunch, the oil producers see little to