The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1906-05-18
EXPOSES tricks
OF STANDARD OIL
METHODS EMPLOYED BY FORMER
AGENT TO FOOL CUSTOM
Frs OF RIVALS.
Lamp Wicks and Chimneys Were
Fixed So as to Make It Appear That
First-Class Article Was Inerior in
Quality.

Quality.
Chicago, May 14.-After third day
of important disclosures of the meth
DDS of the Standard Oil company its
tricks of the trade and the faVors it
has been shown by different railroads,
the Chicago session of the interstate
commerce commission closed Saturday
afternoon at four o'clock.
The days developments before the
adjournment were of fully startling a
nature as those of the other days of
| the Chicago hearing. Gov. Deneen was
brought into the investigation when
Attorney Monnett cited refusal to
| extradite indicted Standard Oil officials
as an example that sort of immunity
| exists for the officials of the oil cor
| poration.
| F. S. Hibbs, the lamp expert" as
| Attorney F. L. Monnett, former attor-
ney general of Ohio, who is conducting
| the examination, called him, was
| placed on the stand and explained the
tricks he employed in showing" con-
sumers that the oil sold by the indie
| pendent dealers was not of good quail
| ty. In response to questions from the
attorney he declared that Frank Bush,
former assistant manager of the Pc
orla district for the Standard Oil COM
pany, was his instructor, and that he
taught other employees the same tricks.
Mr.. Hibbs said he was with the Stand
ard for 13 years, but is now connected
with an Independent company. Mr..
Hibbs said:
Testing" Oil of Rivals.
I'm testing the oil of rival COM
pany we used new chimney and the
magnesia in the glass makes the
| chimney cloudy. For our own oil we
| use an old chimney. Then we always
have our wick perfectly dried out and
not too long-just Sc it will reach the
bottom of the oil bowl. We rub mois-
tened finger tip across the wick of our
rival, and after it has burned a little
| time the damp spot is reached and the
light grows dim and there is a splut-
| tering.
In the meantime our light is burn
so as to make thin flame, and the
wick of the rival is trimmed so it will
make thick flame.
"The thicker the fame the yellower
| the light. Our thin fame always gives
clear white light.
1--WE often bend down the lower part
of the burner, which lets air in under
the chimney and causes the lamp to
smoke. Sometimes we fill up some of
the ventilating holes around the burn
er with wet -four or chewing gum.
Il only resorted to these tricks when
a competitor was selling oil in a town
and | wanted to get rid of him."
Independent Oil Better.
The witness named five towns in Il
linois where he used these receptions
to convince consumers that the oil of
| the rival company was of an inferior
quality. He said that, as a matter of
fact, the quality of oil of all the COM
peting companies was better than that
of the Standard Oil company.
In reply to questions, the witness
said he worked for the Standard Oil
d
and finally becoming a salesman. He
said he received his training in the
tricks Of the trade at the Peoria of
fees of the Standard Oil company. He
is at present employed by the Peoples
Oil company, of Springfield, ILL.,,
competitor of the Standard.
He said that recently at Aurora he
met q Standard Oi1 cnpopopv N oo,>. r,lz
cut the price two cents a gallon on
lubricating oil in an attempt to take
away his customers.
Il held my customers without cut
ting the price, said the witness with
smile.
DO the Standard Oil company's
agents still practice the tactics YOU
have referred to in meeting competi-
tion?' asked Attorney Monnett.
Resorts to Bribery.
Yes, they are doing it to-day" re-
piled the witness. They pay rebates.
bride people, cut the price, and SUBJ
stitute an inferior quality of oil. and
in fact, do anything necessary to get
business and put the competitor out of
lue way.
The witness then described an in
genious scheme which he worked in a
number of cities since becoming an
employe of an Independent company
to annoy the Standard Oil company.
He would go to friends and leave a
fake order for oil, and when the
Standard agent came along later the
merchant would receive certain
amount of cash 10 cancel the order to
the rival concern and give a genuine
order to the Standard Oil company.
He worked this with such success
that the agents for Standard Oil were
unable to tell when an order was sen
uine, and as result the company was
mulcted out of large sums by means
of cash presents.