The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-10-12
Interesting Disclosures in Stan-
 dard OII Hearing
MAKE WAR ON COMPETITORS
Manhattan Pays 5 Cents More Bar rel In Independent Field Than 1t
 Receives When Selling
 to Standard Agency.

brought out by the state today Tn the trial of the Standard Oil company of Ohio for conspiracy against trade. showing the ownership of the Manhattan oil com pany of Ohio 10 be in the General Indus trial Development company, limited. of London, England Also that the Manhat- tan. which buys and pipes crude oil, does not compete with the Standard but does compete with independent companies.
 These facts were brought out in the tes- timony of F. T. Cuthbert, president of the Manhattan. similar criminal suit to that on trial is pending against his company, and he testified under the order of the court which renders him immune from future criminal prosecution. This course was taken at the suggestion of the prosecution upon the appeal of MT. Cuth- bert to the court for protection.
 Produces the Books.
 The witness had been summoned and ordered to bring the books of his com pany. showing the record of stockhold- CTS meetings. The books were produced. The record of the last annual meeting showed that Mir. Cuthbert had been elect ed president by voting under power of at , torney 1495 shares of stock owned by the English holding company; that this com prised the entire stock of the company with the exception of five shares of which one each is held by the president and four directors of the company, who are resi- dents of Lima. O., the home of the com- pany. Mir. Cuthbert said he had been president since 1905, and that he had held the same power of attorney since that time- He knew nothing about tie English company, had never seen anyone eonnect- ed with 1t, but had corresponded with J. w. Francis, it's secretary, and W. w. Johnston, it's managing director whose addresses were in London. NIT. Cuthbert said he had been connected with the com pany about eight years, and prior to his election as president had been it's con- troller. Previous to this he had been an expert accountant for the National Tran sit company, a pipe line company.
 Explaining the nature of the business don6 by the Manhattan, MT. Cuthbert said that before he became it's president the company did a general oil business; that it owned producing properties, pipe lines and refinery at Galatea, O.
 Exclusive Pipe Line Business.
 It had disposed of all but its pipe line to the Ohio Oil company but he did not know who was now operating the refin- cry at Galatea. The Manhattan company now does exclusively pipe line business In doing this it buys the oil of the pro- ducer, transports it to storage stations, and sells it to S. P Trainer purchasing agent of the Standard oil company who alsO buys oil from Joseph Seep treasurer of the Buckeye Pipe Line company In what is known as the South Lima field, where the Manhattan and Buckeye pipe lines both buy oil, the price paid to the ia R har tba, i,. the North Lima field, where what are re- garded as the independent companies make their purchases.
 Asked to explain why this was MT, Cuthbert said:
 To Put Down Competitors.
 ITO protect our pipe lines from the encroachment of competitors" who he safd were the National Refining company of Findlay and the Paragon oil company of Toledo.
 '.Do you pay cents barrel more for oil in the North Lima field than you re- ceive for 1t from the Trainer Purchasing Hsgency?"
 'sYes"
 MT. Cuthbert then admitted that the profits of his company in the North Lima field wore very small if any.
 Prosecutor David asked the witness about the purchases in the Indiana ter r1tory covered by the pipe lines of the company. He said the Sun Pipe Line com pany and the Indiana Pipe Line company were competitors in that field but the price there was the regular market price,
 Attorneys Object.
 When the trial of the Standard Oii com pany of Ohio for conspiracy against trade was resumed this morning counsel for de- fense resumed their fight against the ad- mission of the certificate showing the character of the Standard oil company organization in New Jersey
 The certificate which the prosecution sought to place before the jury Is a transcript of the record in the secretary of states office of New Jersey and shows that in 1892 the company increased it's board of directors from three to nine This. 1t was claimed by the prosecution was done that MT. Rockefeller and his nine colleagues on the board of directors in the Standard oil trust might be elected on the New Jersey board.
 Judge Banks finally overrued the ob- jecton of attorneys for the defense and admitted evidence the New Jersey cer- tificate showing the increase of directors in the Standard company in that state The prosecution next offered in evidence the amendments to the charter of the New Jersey company made June 16, 1S99 whereby it's capital was increased to S110.- o00.000 and authority given it to purchase the stocks of other companies thus rreal- ing It holding company, and also the seven annual reports of the New Jersey company. and had completed the read ing of the first proof of them when re- cess was taken for luncheon To all of these reports counsel for the defense ob- jected but We're overrued by the court.
 Afternoon Session.
 At the afternoon session when the an- nnal reports of the New Jersey company had all been read, the annual report of the Union Tank Line company of New Jersey for 1905 was offered. MT. Kline expressed the opinion to the court that to admit this report was about the most remote evidence that could be given He wanted the court to remember that the Standard oil Company of Ohio was bciu. tried criminally and was entitled to meet the witnesses against it face to face. '.I'll tell you emphaticay that it is pertinent. interrupted Attorney Phelps. '.It first shows that it's officers are COZ D0ctad with the New Jersey Standard