Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1906-11-15
Oil HEARING AGAIN
Attorney General Hadley Resumes
the Trial Of Missouri Custer
Suit at St. Louis.
TESTIMONY FOR DEFENSE
water-Plerce General Manager Adj
mits standard COntroIs His Conn
pany and Fixed All Sell
ing Prices of Product.

st. Louis, Nov. 10.-The hearing OF
the deposition Of the defense In the
custer suit OF the state of Missouri.
against the Standard Oil, Water-Pierce
and Republic Oil companies, was re-
sumed Friday. c. L. Ackert, general
manager OF the Waters-Pierce company
who was the sole witness Thursday
was again on the witness stand Fri
day.
Mr.. Ackert admitted that the Stan
dard Oil company Of Indiana controls
the Waters-P Pierce, the Republic and
the st. Louis International OIL com
panies, although the subsidiary COM
panies are active competitors for bust
ness In st. Louis. He admitted that
an agreement had been made between
the Waters-Pierce and the Standard
companies regarding certain territory
that each company was to do business
in, and told of the allotment of the
territory. He also testified that the
selling prices of the Waters-Pierce
and the other companies were fixed by
the Standard. Under the further rigid
cross.examination CT Attorney General
i1adley the witness testified that the
Waters-Pierce, Republic and st. Louis
international; companies each had man
ayers who solicited business and Of
ten cut the prices to obtain the larg-
est showing to be made to the head
company-the Standard. He said that
instructions were given to the Waters.
Pierce company cut the price OF oil
the territory of the Standard Oil com
pany outside Of st. Louis, and to re-
main strictly upon the territory allot-
ted the company.
Ackert testified that the Waters
Pierce company cut thep rice OF oil
20 low in Jefferson City that an in
dependent oil company Auit business
there. He said that the only tank
station competition that the Waters
Pierce company had in Missouri out
side of st. Louis was with independ'
ent companies at Joplin, Springfield
and Aurora.
In reply to question from the coun.
eel for. the defense regarding the
method of keeping the business from
competitors, the witness said that
whenever a competitor undersold the
Waters-Pierce company, a representa-
tive of the Waters-Pierce company
would find it out the next day when
.le called and would notify the com
pany.
The company would then allow the
consumer a rebate equal to the price
offered by the competitor, unless 1t
could arrange together satisfactorily
otherwise.
The witness said that the company
always maintained higher prices in
the country districts, from a half cent
to one cent gallon, and that the GUS
toners would readily pay the price
because of the facilities of the Waters
Pierce company which enables prompt
delivery, while competitors were ont
able to supply the customers regular
ly.
Upon further cross-examination Mr.
Ackert admitted that the Standard Oil
company owned much stock of the
Waters-Pierce company, but he did not
have personal knowledge whether it
was a minority or a majority stock
holding. He testified that the Waters
Pierce company had made daily re-
ports to the Standard Oil company
at 26 Broadway, New York, saying
that the reports consisted OF general
statistics of the company's business
such as cash statements, showing the
fiscal condition of the Waters-Pierce
company, also total sales and net re-
suits Of the company.
Assistant Attorney General Light. |
foot Of Texas, sat near Attorney Gen
eral Hadley during Fridays session |
and occasionally prompted a Ques
ton. Mr.. Ackert was the only witness
Friday. The hearing was adjourned
until next Wednesday morning.