The Glenwood post., 1906-05-19
CHARGED WITH BRIBlNG EN-
PLOYES OF RIVALS.
AND USING FALSE MEASURES
Former Agent On the Witness Stand
Also Former Railroad President,
Who Tells of Efforts to Bride Off
GERS and Clerks.

GERS and Clerks.
Chicago.-Corrcptio of railroad EN-
ployes and agents Of independent oil
companies, dishonest methods of pro
curing land leases, the giving Of short
measure and the selling Of three differ
| ent kinds of oil out of the same tank
| and Misrepresentation as to the quail
| ity of the oil sold, were charged against
the Standard Oil Company at Wednes
days hearing before the Interstate
| Commerce Commission.
Incidentally it was charged that the
Frisco road gives a rate OF cents
| hundred to the Standard Oil Com
pany, when it charges competitors OF
| that corporation ten times as much for
the same haul
The inquiry was held under an order
of Congress, and the session was along
the same lines as that held some time
| ago in Kansas City.
An important witness was e. M.
Without of Springfield, Missouri, for
merly for ten years agent of the Stand
ard Oil Company at Topeka. 1t was he
who made the charge of bribery and
dishonesty against the company and
said that the Frisco road discrimi-
mated in favor of the Standard Oil
Company.
Other witnesses for the day were H
C. Deran of of Fremont, Ohio, and R.
P. Ripley, president of the Santa Fe
railroad.
Mr.. Without said that while in the
employ of the Standard Oil Company
he had, in following out the instruc
tons of his superior officers, bribed
| clerks in the offices of railroads and
employees of independent oil concerns
in order to obtain information of the
details Of the business done by the
rivals of the Standard Oil Company
He declared that agents of the Stand
ard Oil Company are held personally
responsible for all oil sold in their ter
ritories by independent companies.
He said that the drivers of tanb
wagons are expected to keep up their
stock by selling 2O5 to 20S gallons from
a wagon load of 200 gallons.
| He said the actual tests of the prod
ucts of the Standard Oil Company tc
determine the quality are carefully
guarded and that when it was founC
necessary to cut the price to meet the
| figure Of competitor, a cheaper quail
ity of oil was substituted and guaran
teed to be of a higher grade than i
really was.
Mr.. Without said that frequently
three grades of oil were sold from the
same tank by agents of the STANDARD
| Oil Company.
Several letters were read by the wit
| ness in which he was instructed t.
| watch shipments in his territory ant
| report the name of every customer o
| the independent concerns and the
amount and quality of oil received b!
| him. He said that he had bribed clerk!
| in the offices of the Rock Island, SAINT;
| Fe and Missouri Pacific to give hin
| lists of shipments to the customers
| of independent companies.
He also told of bribing teamsters II
| order to obtain information.
Did you ever give short measure tt
| your customers" asked Commissions
Prouty.
well, we did not call it that" re
piled the witness. I was freQuentl!
advised by agents OF the company tina
my stock was not showing up as /
should and was told that it was sim
pie matter to sell 205 to 20S gallon
from 200-gallon load Of oil. The com
pany explained this by saying that OF
expanded in the wagon"
Attorney Miller for the Standard OF
Company broke in at this point to in
quire the scope Of the investigation
He said that 1t was his understanding
that the power of the commission wa
limited to an investigation of the rela
lions of the company with common car
riers and that so far not the slightes
evidence upon that point had beef
| given. He was opposed, he said, to tn,
raking of muck and scandal by goini
back ten years in history.
For your information I will assur'
you that the Standard Oil Company i
doing the very same things to-day,
said Mr. Without.
II object to that statement" shouted
Attorney Miller.
Commissioner Clements, in answe
to the inquiry of Mr.. Miller, said tina
it was desired to obtain all the infor
nation possible and report it for tn
consideration OF Congress.