The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1906-05-29
ROCER|T|S"
Many of the
Witnesses in the Stand
ard Oil Hearing at
Cleveland - A Woman
Tells What She Knows.

Cleveland, O., May 25.-One contin-
uous story of Standard Oil oppres-
sion and railroad discrimination, var
led only by details in time, scene and
methods, was told to the interstate
commerce commission today. The
hearing was also marked with the sud
den development in several witnesses
of that lack of memory which is
known in oil cirles as "Rogeritis."
T.. OF the Standard Oil employees who
answered subpoenas only one seemed
to give direct responses to the ques-
witness heard during the present hear
ing Miss Elizabeth Crotzman, the
Standards general record clerk and
stenOgrapher at Dayton, told of the
collation. of information of the doings
of the trust competitors. 1t was
shown through her that draymen kept
tab on all shipments by Independent
oil men anil that memoranda giving
the name of the consignee and the
size of the shipment were filed by
her and turned over to Superintend-
ent keenan, when called for She also
testified that on what are called
slips of information" the Standards
sales were registered in red ink, the
work of the statesmen in black, and
; matter referring to competitors in
green ink.
ANOTHER TRUST.
! After Frank B. Fretter, of the Ma
tional Refining and the National Pipe
Line companies had finished his tes-
timony in the morning, Virgil P.
P. Kline, city, attorney of the Stand
ard attempted to prove by him that
the National was simply another
trust He sought especially to show
the identity of directors in the Globe,
Northern and Atlas OIL companies
with some of those in the National
Mr. Fretter replied in each case that
the investments were personal and
added the allied concerns were organ
ized separately so as to give the To-
cal men in each district share in
the profits of the business.
George E. Merchant, formerly gem
eral manager of the Buffalo, Rochester
& Pittsburg road, was the first un-
willing witness. Commissioner Glenn |
ents took him in hand and forced in
teresting revelations on his lines |
ownership of coal companies. When !
he pleaded lack of equipment as a
reason for refusing shipping facilities
to Independent mines, Mr.. Clements |
made him admit this shortage was due
to the demands of coal companies,
either owned of controlled by his
company.
D. f. Byles, Of Oil City, Pa, sec
retary and treasurer of the Independ-
ent Refining company. told an inter-
esting story Of rate discrimination
and the difficulty In getting inspec-
tion and Of the same troubles In east
ern and southern territory.
VIII E. Wall president of the Ma
tional Petroleum Association and OF
the Fred G. Clark Oil company. told
of excess rates paid the railroads by
Independent oil men and showed the
injustice resulting from the refusal
to commodity rates apply to oil.
GIVE OIL AWAY.
George T. Lane, of Mansfield, was
the most spectacular witness of the
day He gave the details of the charge
heretofore published that when he was
working for the Standard he was told
to drive out the independents at what
ever cost. Some or mis- most striking
expressions were:
"Of course, we could never give a
preacher money, but we gave him oil.
When we started to give oil away
we gave one gallon, then two if it
was all right and increased it up to
hundred gallons if necessary. We
judged the ability of our spoilers by
the number of gallons they gave
away Sen
''At one time, taking all expenses
into account, IT cost So a gallon to
give the oil away. Our rivals were
followed during the distribution by
boys on bicycles or men on foot Spot
tiers were also sent secretly from
cleveland and II | did not find all the
independents customers l got called
down"
TRY To HARM HIM.
When he entered the independent
field, Mr.. Lane said, Standard Oil men
told him they would give away grocer
les. if necessary, to Kill him on. He
charged a system of retailing to con-
sumers was put into operation and
that the practice continues even now
In certain parts of northwestern Ohio.
He concluded by saying:
They told me they wouldn't let
me live and they have been trying
to starve me ever since. but | am
still alive"
John oBrien, superintendent of the
Lima division of the Buckeye Pipe