The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-12
MISSOURI is AT TER
STANDARD OIL CO..
State Charges Companies With
Creating Monopoly
GARDNER IS ON THE STAND
Describes How the Standard Oil Co.
Had Granted Rebates to Consumers
to Take Business from Inde-
pendent Concern.
GARDNER IS ON THE STAND

Kansas City, July 1.-THE taking of tes-
timony in the suit of the attorney gener-
al of the state to GUST the Standard Oil
company from Missouri was resumed
here today before Judge Robert A. An
thony, the case having been transferred
from St. Louis. Herbert s. Hadley the
attorney general, and two assistants rep
resented the state.
The state charges that the defendants
have entered into combination to control
the prices of oil, destroying competition.
Judge Anthony was named special COM
missioner by the supreme court to hear
the testimony and report it's findings in
the case. After examining several wit
nesses here, he will likely go to other
parts of the state for the same pur-
pose.
A. II. Gardner, a former agent of the
National Oil company, an independent
concern with offices at Kansas City, de-
scribed how the Standard Oil company
had granted rebates to consumers to take
the business away from the National and
how officials of the Standard had come
from Cleveland and New York to see
him, and fix up the trouble Mr.. Card
ner told frankly how he and represen-
tative of the Standard had talked over
the rebates and other things which they
agreed, the witness said, must be kept
under a cloak"
Mr.. Gardner Questioned
Mr.. Gardner was questioned as to sup
posed territorial agreements between the
National and other small independent
companies, the Merchants Oil Tank line
and the Mutual Oil company of Omaha.
The Merchants was absorbed by the Ma
tonal. The General Oil company of
Memphis, Tenn: the Dubuque Oil Refin-
ing company of Iowa and a half dozen
others. it developed, had certain territory
allotted to them, in which no other indie
pendent company intruded. The witnesses
denied that there was any written agree
ment with respect to territory. Mr.. Ha-
german wanted to show that the National
Refining company of Toledo owned the
majority stock of the National Oil COM
pany and other smaller concerns already
mentioned, but the court sustained an
objection to this because the companies
are not on trial. Mr., Gardner told how,
when the independent oil companies began
to get trade the National began to cut
prices.
81 never looked at the Republic as any,
thing except a Standard Oil branch"
said Mr.. Gardner. I'VE look on the Re-
public the same as the Standard or worse,
because it Is sent out to worry u.s.
The most important piece of testimony
given during the afternoon was that of
w. N. Davis in regard 20 information
given to the Standard Oil company by
railroad employees. Mr.. Davis, who is
now proprietor of the Keystone OIL COM
pany of Kansas City, an independent Or
ganization, was for three years manager
In Kansas City of the Consolidated Tank
Line company a Standard Oil company.
Mr.. Hadley asked him:
Receiving Clerks Gave Names.
what methods were used to secure infor-
nation in regard to the business done by
competitors of your company
1.-THE receiving clerks of railroads furn-
ished us with the names Of dealers to
whom our competitors were making ship
ments," said Mr. Davis. 1--WE also had a
young man whose iuty it Is to go to the
different freight houses and find what
| shipments were there"
what use was made of this informa-
| tion? Mr.. Hadley asked.
| 1--WE kept a record of it," was the reply,
| land sent 1t to the agent in the district
| to which the shipment was being made.
| Our agent was instructed to see the man
to whom the shipment was made and get
| his business The agent was empowered
| to make the price as low as necessary
to get the business II possible we got
| the dealers to return the oil order from
| our competitors and take ours"
| Mr. Davis said he received orders from
| Kansas headquarters but 1t was generally
recognized that headquarters were at %
Broadway, the Rockefeller office in New
York.