New-York tribune., 1907-01-29
Standard Plunger Elevator Company,
BROADWAY.

companies reducing prices The oDeration of
so s9cn take independent concerns has been one
OF lts most enectlve means Of destroying COM
petition The Standard has habitually reduced
Inc price against its competitor in a particular
locality while maintaining its prices at other
places. When competition was DESTROYED it ad-
Nanced OF restored former prices. The Standard
has sold different grades of oil at different prices
Irom the same barrel It has paid employees of
Independent oil companies for information as to
the business of those competitors. and has paid
employees OF industrial companies TO secure the
adoption of its oil in preference to that of its
competitors. IL has followed every barrel Of
Independent oil to its destination. Its agents are
instructed to secure customers at any sacrifice.
1t mas tampered with the oil inspectors in diff
ferent states. The laws OF several states con-
corning the inspection of oil singularly de-
fectve, and this has been turned to profit by the
Standard.
The commissions only knowledge Of the com
petitive methods of the Standard Oil Company is
obtained from evidence taken under oath in this
investigation. The Standard was given peTmiS-
sion TO explain rebut the facts. This eVi-
dence If true. demonstrates that the competitive
methods of the company in the past have been
unfair and even disreputable Its motto has
been the destruction of competition at any cost,
and this policy has been pursued without much
reference to decency or conscience, and 1t is sig
nifcant that the larger Independent refners sell
the greater part Of their product in foreign coun-
trtes. One independent testified that 40 per cent
OF his product went abroad. and said that he
could compete with the Standard in Germany,
where its methods as followed In this country
would not be tolerated, but that he could not
compete with II here.
THINKS REMEDIES INADEQUATE
On the question Of remedies the report makes
these observations:
More than anything else the pipe line has con-
trtbuted to the Standard Oil monopoly, and its
supremacy must continue until its rivals enjoy
the same transportation facilities The amended
act 10 regulate commerce makes the existing
pipe lines common carriers subject TO that act
and the power to prescribe Just and reasonable
rates. regulations and practices, after complaint
&,
But the pipe line tariffs filed with the commits
sion are alleged to be of no actual advantage to
the Independent operators. The commission can
act only upon these schedules after complaint
has been made challenging specific rates. reg
ulatiOns practices. Some complaints are now
pending. How far the amended act will prove
now exists In respect 10 this traffic remains to
be seen
Since in the past petroleum rates have not
always Seen established 10 promote but often to
check traffic. and the tariffs more or less
permeated with Determinations in favor of the
standard OIL Company, having been built up
during a series OF years In that view. II may be
mat this discrimination Will never be eliminated
by any process Of complaint against a specific
rate practice. Judging by the past dis
ordinations 10 this traffic may arise more
ed out by that method.
In no other important traffic is there an
approach 10 the monopoly OF the Standard OIL
company IN oil. Under these conditions IL NAV
become necessary to the uprooting Of established
wrongs and the prevention of others that the
government shall fix In the first Instance the
rates and regulations for the transportation OF
this trafiic. This method has been adopted bv
the Legislature ofs one state II probably will
be FOUND necessary to disassociate IN the ca Sc
OF OIL, as IN that or other commodities the fUnC-
uon OF transportation from that OF production
and distribution What other remedies IN ad-
dition to those already provided It may be neces-
sary 10 prescribe can be better determined in
the near future by the results Of experiences IN
administering the present law