The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-18
OIL RDULTERATED,
Merchant Finds a GlutinOus
Mixture in Tanks.
Thinks 1t Was a Scheme Worked
by the Standard Go.
DENY ANY WRONGDOING
ALetter From the Big Corpora
ton Instantly Issued.
A Change of Oil Dealers Re
spOnsible for Discovery.
DENY ANY WRONGDOING

7ndependence. kan, Dec. lS--1he
endfnz Of a combination of vinegar ana
gIue in the tank of a dealer in indie
PENDENT oil in Topeka is coincident with
the issuance of letter by the sales
6enartment Of the Standard OIL com
many warning people against aduiteIa-
ted oil and asking their customers 10
keep a sharp lookout
The case at Topeka Is interesting. The
merchant had been buying oil from the
Standard oil company many years MS
storage tank was in the rear of his
store. The Standard company's driver
had been in the habit Of keeping the
tank full of refined oil. The merchant
made I'D his mind to buy his oil from
an Independent refinery. The oil from
the Independent refinery was put in the
tank Several days after 1t was as
covered that something was wrong with
the independent oil. An eXaminaf ton
showed the presence Of an alkali which
ie only caused by the amalgamatlon OF
refined oil and some glutinous mix
ture. The agent for the Independent
refinery and the merchant got on their
s'hoilering clothes" and made tnlngs
hum. Two days after the discovery OF
the aduIteration Of the tank of OIL the
Standard OIL company, on its own STA
tionery, issues the following letter.
ssTo our Patrons We beg to earn
estlv. request that you do not under any
circumstances permit OF any otner
grade OF oil being mixed with oud ger
Grade Of oil being mixed with our FER
be fhe best lamp oil made and we can
not substantiate this claim unless you
deliver the good straight 10 pefIllt
Perfection to be mixed with the poor
STUFF which is being offered at this time,
means an injustice to all concerned.
We truly trust you VIII believe US most
sincere in making this request Tor our
mutual interests
Trusting we may have your hearty
co-operation on the lines given with the
hope we may continue to merit your
patronage, we are, yours truly
''THE STANDARD OIL CO..
Not AduIterated Oil.
Standard OIL employees say it was
merely coincidental that the letter ana
the discovery of the adulteration Of the
oil in the tank came at the same time
Dealers resent the insinuatton In the
letter that they have been prlVy 70 the
ceiling OF adulterated oil. One dealer
who has been handling the oil made py
the Standard company declared It was
a reflection on his honesty to send MIN
a letter and in1m ediately switched ms
trade to an Independent refinery me
merchant at Topeka resents the iettef-
He SAYS he would like to know II ne
would voluntarily adulterate oil or II
the agent of the refinery which sold
him the oil would voluntarily adulter-
ate 1t and thus lose all future business!
The occurrence is accepted as one OF
those things which happen sometimes
when the Standard Oil company is one
OF the parties interested. Even If the
sdulteration should be fastened on an
employe OF the Standard company, the
course Of procedure is known IN ao-
vance. With q great show or lndlgna-
ton, the employe would be discharged
only to find a better Job in some new
and remote territory, where he could
work the same game over again
All OF this brings out the accusation
that the Standard company is selling two
GRADES Of Perfection oil in Kansas unless
the thermometers and the hydrometers
and the gauges are wrong. In the north
ern end Of the state the Perfection oil is
of a good grade. while that sold IN the
southern end Of the state the Produel OF
the Neodesha refinery are al Df5nqeu
alike and It is expected that the dealer
win take the word OF the solicitor for the
Standard company for the rest of IL
Grades Improved.
Since the independent rehneries have
begun to WhoOp things up in the refined
oil business in Kansas the grades Of oil
sold by the Standard company have i'm
proved. Before the establishment of the
fndependent refineries anything was good
enough for Kansas, but now the Stand
ard company has come to the conclusion
that the people OF Kansas are entitled to
a pretty good grade of oil. Then again
the independents are educating the mer-
chants The dealers are 0uylng hyoroIle-
tiers and conducting tests of their own.
Until six months ago the dealer sWore
by what the Standard company driver
told him.
There is one thing that the Independent
rehneries in Kansas have done The
price Of refined oil IN the state has been
reduced nearly 4 cents a gallon since the
fight on the Standard started year ago
OH ifs cheaper in Kansas than it is in
Missouri or any of the western states be
cause OF this competition. The people
are getting the benefit Of the fight which
the last legislature IN Kansas made on
the Standard company They are not on
~ getting better prices, but they are get
ting better oil.