The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-05-11
HARD BLOWS FOR
STANDARD OIL
Corruption, Dishonesty, Dis
elimination and Other Like
Charges Are Made.
INTERSTATE COMMERCE
COMMISSION is ACTIVE
Former Agents of the Trust
Shed Light on Business
Methods.

| CHICAGO, May 1o.-Corruption Of rail-
| road employees and agents OF indcpend-
| ent oil companies. dishonest methods Of
procuring land leases the giving OF short
measure and the selling of three different
kinds of oil out of the same tank and
| Misrepresentation as to the quality OF
the oil sold were charged against the
Standard OIL company at today's hear
Ing before the Interstate Commerce COM
mission
Rate Discrimination.
Incidentally it was charged that the
Frisco road gives a rate of cents a
hundred to the Stanonrd OIL company.
when it charges competitors of that cor
poration ten times as much for the same
haul, The inquiry was held under an
order of Congress, and this session held
here today was along the same lines as
that held some time ago in Kansas city.
Former Agent Witness.
The principal witness OF today was E.
M Wilhoit of Springfield. Mo. formerly
for ten years agent of the Standard Oil
company at Topeka. 1t was he who
made the charge Of bribery and dIshon-
esty against the company. and said that
the Frisco road dlscrIminated In favor OF
the Standard OIL company
Others Who Testified.
other witnesses for the day were II. c.
Deran of Fremont. O.: e p, Ripley. pres
ident OF the Atchlson, Topeka & Santa
Fee road and NJ. MaXon, a former agent
of the Standard OIL company In Illinois.
The last wItnes gave testimony which in
many instances was the same as that
given by Mr. Wilhoit.
Trust Agreement Produced.
Mr.. Deran was asked for the official
record of the trust agreement or tho
Standard oil company as contained In
case tried In Ohio, and Il wac introduced
Into the record the hearing
Secret Lines Alleged.
pipe line map, drawn by w w Tar
bell of Philadelphia, was introduced. 1T
was said that IT dlScloscs secret lines un-
known to any but officials OF the com
pany. The map Will be verified at the
hearing In Philadelphia next week.
F.. p. Ripley. president of the Atchison,
Topeka & Santa Fc railway, was then
cerning agreements of the railroad COM
pany with a number OF companies al
legged to be subsidiary companies of the
Standard OIL company
Did the Best He Could.
The first contract" said President Rip
ley, was with man In Kansas City TO
lay pipe line on our right of way. for
SO mile. The next was for line from
Kansas City to Joliet, and for this we
received $50 per mile We got $3.50 600 for
thn plFa Iine. built but. as 1t had to be
done, did the best | could out of It,"
Dodges the Question,
us there any contract between your
company and the Standard or any OF the
subsidiary companies for furnishing the
road with lubrcating ol?" asked Com
missioner Prouty
our purchasing agent can tell you bet
ter"
'Mr. Ripley declared that two of the oil
companies with which he made contracts
are affiliated with the Standard Oh COM
pany.
Did Raise the Rate.
Didn't YOU raise the rate In Kansas on
oil when the pipe line was put in?" asked
Attorney Monnett.
I'VE did. but we carried oil before the
pipe line was put in and we have carried
none since"
He was asked II the rate on gas oil was
not lowered. and that on crude oil raiaed. |
and answered that 1T was,
When the crude oil was pped the rate !
was raised. but the rate on gas oil was !
lowered. It being shipped; is not that so?" |
1T s." replied President Ripley.
Fought Independent Dealers.
The last witness OF the day was NJ
MaNon. formerly agent Of the Standard |
OIL company at various points In Illinois. |
He said that the Standard OH company,
through subsidiary companies, fought the !
dealers by reducing rates In |
their territory. and, although the reduc- |
tlons were not made in the name OF the |
Standard Oil company, IT was In reality !
that concern which WAS making them. He !
said that the State oil inspectors did not |
except in rare instances. Inspect barrels |
of oil and that many of them left their |
stencils In the hands of the Standard oil |
over night.
hair i1U Nuil he Trf,ug