Omaha daily bee., 1906-11-17
OIL HEARING IN ST. LOUIS
Testimony Bears Upon Relations Bc-
tween Waters-Pierce Company
and Supposed Competitors

ST LOUIS. Nov. l6-Whcn the hearing
Of the depusltous of the defense in tho
Missouri custer suit against tho Standard.
Waters-Pterco and Republic oil companies
was resumed this morning st was antcl-
pated by Attorney General Hadlcy that the
hearing would conclude today. The re-
naming witnesses to be examined were
Edward y. Won Hartcn, manager of the
city division, and " H. Crandall, assist
ant manager Of the Missouri division OF the
Waters Pierce Oil company.
Five witnesses have been examined in SC
cret hearing byt Assistant Attorney CEN
eral ]. =. Lightfoot OF Texas IN the taking
OF dcposiuons relevant to tho suit 10 oust
;he Waters-Pierco oil company from
Texas. and the examination OF two moro
witnesses today completed the present hear
Ing. Mr.. Lightfoot will return to Texas
tonight.
II is learned that the examination has
developed from the testimony that a con-
nection between the Standard oil company
and the Waters-Pierco company existed
and that in certain sections Of Texas
wnere the Wuters-Pierce company WIS
unusually strons all the competing forces
were destroyed by the Standard OIL conf
pany.
Witnesses testified that the Corscana oil
beaumont two rehnerivs owned by the
standard oil company, did not sell 70 COM
panies competing with the Waters Pierce
company. and that in return the latter
company purchased all the OIL sold In the
state Of Texas from these two rchneries.
II was also developed that maps showing
the division of territory covered by the
Waters-Pierce and the Standard companies
were prepared at &c Broadway, New York.
and distributed over the territory covered
by the two concerns.
The witnesses that have been examined
were G. NJ. Adams secretary and treas
urer of the Waters-Piorce company; G. B.
Collins formerly private secretary to IL.
Clay Pierce; Charles Hatfield T. ~ Won
Harteu, city division manager. and c. ].
Cohn, formerly a Texas representative Of
the Waters-Pierce company
Mr.. Won Harten testified that there was
competition between tho Waters-Pierce
and the Republic Oil companies in his d-
vision. In 1901, he said. the Republic. In
ternational and st. Louis OIL companies
were business rivals OF the Waters Pierce
company. The witness testified that he
discovered that the Republic and stand
ard companies had slashed prices by Sc
cretly allowing rebates to customers. He
Went 10 dealers not benefited by these
rebates, he said. and told them that they
were being discriminated against and in
this way prevented further reductions IN
prices. He stated that the Waters Pierce
company was the only oil company i'm ST.
Louis to furnish fixed prices to the trade
and that those quotations were practically
adopted by other concerns as a basis for
doing business.
Mr.. Won Harten testified that he, was let
out by the Waters-Piorce company In 1894
nnd ter established the Southwestern oil
company. which did business for three
months. He said the Southwestern was
making inroads IN the oil business and that
the Waters-PicrPe bought the COMPANY
stt ana rosestaflsis isked hln1 ~ llls-fovfsdf
position with tht Waters-Plerce company.
The hearing adjourned until Tuesday
morning, as there was not sufficient time
today 60 hear the testimony of V, H. Gran
dali. the final witness