The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-19
MISSOURI OIL TRUST HUNT.
MORE TESTIMONY HERE ON the
STANDARDS CONTROL.
Assertions That Although IL Owned Three
Companies Doing Business IN Missouri
competition Was sim Kept Up-The
Formation Of the Republic Company.

IVA -
the Waters-P Pierce Oil Company OF st.
louis. the Republic Oil Company of Ohio
.nd the Standard Oil. Accompany Of Indiana
% show that they were creatures of the
raraut Standard Oil trust and had violate ed
tho antitrust laws of Missouri was con-
,rjcd at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel yes
,erdav. At the earlier sessions Of the hear
ing in this city Henry II. Rogers. E. T.
Bedford, John ID. Archbold and other Stand
ard oil directors were examined by Herbert
s. Hadlcy, the Attorney General of Mis-
souri,, and some testimony concerning
the methods of the oil trust was brought
out from the not too willing witnesses.
Since then hearings have been held in
Missouri and Ohio. at which it was de-
veIopad that the Standard Oil Company
unrucsfionlbly controlled the three COM
NAMES doing business in Missouri through
ownership of a majority of their stock.
The standard. through its officers and
officers Of the subsidiary companies in
yolyed. finally admitted the ownership
of this control, but set up as a defence
that they were still running the concerns
rs competitive companies and hat the anti
trust laws Of Missouri had not been violated.
They declared that the companies were
still competing for business in Missouri,
in suite of the fact that they were all run
in the interest OF the Standard.
It was for the purpose Of letting the de-
PENDANT companies exam inc their own
witnesses that the hearing was held in this
city Yesterday. All the companies involved
have Offices at 20 Broadway, and their books
are here. Acknowledgement Hadley and
-. D..-I IL l.-l A.
cross-examine the Standards witness. The
interests Of the trust were looked after
by F. NJ. Hageman, A. d. Eddy and Attor-
ney johnson of st. Louis, who is the counsel
for the W~aters-Pierce company.
Only two witnesses were examined yes
terdav. They were Walter c. Teagle of the
Standard Oil Company here, who was for
merly manager OF the Republic Oil Com
pany. and J. A. Moffett, president of the
Standard Oil Company of Indiana, Both
took an active part in the formation Of
the Republic company. Mr.. Moffett adj
mitted that he was consulted about the
organization OF the Republic and said
frankly at the morning session that he
advised his associates to be careful as to
what they said about the transaction. At
the afternoon session, when recalled by the
Standard lawyers, he was not so sure that
he had lone this, although he said his inn
preston was that he had.
Mr.. Moffett admitted the ownership OF
control by the Standard in the three COM
panies. In reply to the trust lawyers
questions as to whether there was an agree
ment in restraint OF trade between the
waters-P Pierce company and the Standard
nj I-lsu-- = Asz.,- l..
replied that there was simply an agree
ment between the wholesaler and the re-
taller. He said that the two concerns had
divided the State between them in a
measure.
Mr.. Moffett testified that he had nothing
TO do with the Republic company after
it was Incorporated and that he had never
seen the incorporation papers until they
we're produced at the hearing yesterday;
He couldn't remember that he had ever
assisted in the organization of any other
subsidiary company OF the trust. He
said that there was no agreement between
the Standard Oil Company of Indiana
and the Republic company, although
both had Offices at 20 Broadway. He
admitted that he was a member Of the
board of directors OF the Standard Oil
Company of New Jersey, and that this
board in a general way had supervision
Ofthe affairs of all the companies identified
with the Standard Oil interests.
Was there any competition between the
Standard and the Waters-Pierce company
in Missouri between 1901 and l9O53' asked
Mr.. Hadley.
There was a division Of territory and I
respected il, replied the witness.
Isn't it true that you did not compete
In that tprritOrV?' ..
Il respected the agreement answered
Mr.. Monett.
Walter Teagle, who is 2s years old, was
put through a merciless cross-examination
by MIR. Hadley. Teagle's father was one
Of the partners in the firm of Scoield,
Sherman Il Teagle, an independent firm
that was bought out after the Republic
company was formed. Prior to that time
il was a formidable foe OF the trust in Ohio
Kansas, Missouri and other Western terri
tory. Young Teagle indicated in his direct
testimony that the affairs OF the Republic
company, which succeeded his fathers
firm and of which he became the general
manager, were carried on almost precisely
as they had been before the transfer-that
Is. that competition continued in. spite Of
the fact that the standard Oil Company
through its representatives had become
the dominant factor in the situation.
In support of his statement that there
uas no change in the methods OF business
AFTER the epubl company was formed ne
aid that all the old employees OF the firm
save three were continued in their places
under the new manag cement.
Was there a rate war on in Kansas City
when the Republic company was formedY'
asked Mr.. Hageman.
There was" replied the witness
Were the independents giving rebates
the same as the other companies2"
was led to believe that they were.'
The young man told how he had one 10
work IN a refinery doing the work Of a labor
ing man at 10 cents an hour He had also
acted as a travelling salesman for the firm
IN vacation times while he was at college
Mr.. Hadley tried to make him admit that he
knew that it was the Standard Oil Com
pany which the firm had fought 50 long
that was negotiating for the property
When asked whom he had seen first about
me matter he said It was a Mr.. Mcdonald
HIS father had told him that Mcdonald
mad made a proposition TO buy the firm out
he had heard that Mcdonald had beer
connected with the Standard, but he die
not know il Of his own knowledge and hii
father did not tell him. He admitted alsC
mar most OF the negotiations for the sale
OF the property were carried on at % Broad
way but said that some OF the details were
arranged at the Waldorf. Among tbs
men with whom he conferred were Mr.
Morett aAd Mr.. jennings. Nothing was sale
ADout ttandard Oil, but the conferences
Offices.
On several occasions Mr.. TeaRle Shove