The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-01-30

pounds. While the railways insist
that this was not done at the instance
of the Standard, the significant fac
es called to the commissions atten-
ton, that the rate was not changed
until 1t came to be for b Standard
that it should be changed and it was
changed as that company naturally
would desire"
In discussing the assertion contain
I'd in the report that "the ruin of its
competitors has been a distinct part
of the policy of the Standard Oil Com
pany." the commission says n me-
thod has been the organization of a
perfect system of espionage over the
shipments of its competitsors, result
ing in knowledge as to the destination
of every car of oil leaving the rein
cry of an Independent. The Standard
agent at the destination, says the
report, is held responsible if the in
dependent oil is sold.
at does not appear" says the re-
port. that the railroad companies
have directed the furnishing of this
information, or that the practice has
been sanctioned by superior officials
of the roads, but it does appear that
S1cA information is Systematically
obtained from h railroad employees.
The testimony shows That the Stand
ard at one time, if it does not now,
devoted a fund to the purpose of OBJ
tanning this information. 1t has fire.
quently happened, when the supply of
independent oil il a particular terri
tory was low n a shipment was Pc
culiarly necessary, that the shipment
has u~naccountably zone astray. In
formation also appears to nave been
given the Union Tank Line, a crea-
ture of the Standard, concerning the
whereabouts of its cars, while such
information was not furnished to 9TH
er owners of tank cars and some dis
elimination in tank car mileage in IA
vor of the tank line is shown for one
railroad.'
1t is asserted That it is the practice
of the Standard, whenever a compe-
titor erects a storage tank to which
the oil is transferred from the tank
a to reduce the price of oil in that
locality to such a point as to make the
business Improbable to such compe-
titor, while prices were maintained
in other localities. There was sucn
the Standard to erect its tanks at con-
venient points on the right of way and
declined to accord this privilege to
independent %refiners. The commission
says that such discrimination has
been very generally practiced in the
past.
the report shows that at present
every considerable railroad in the U.
S. is buying of the Galena Oil Com
pany, one of the Standard companies
most of it's lubricating and signal oils
the prices paid for l~ubricating oil.
which is of three grades being sub
staltially the same to thu various
railroads. The contracts generally
contain a guarantee provision that
the cost of lubricating snail not ex-
coed a certain sum per mile or engine
mile, and provides for oil inspectors
wise h use of the oil. The Galena
company is rarely called upon to pay
anything under the guaranty, and the
prices obtained by the oil company
are ~extravagantly high. Oils of the
same grade could be bought in the
open market for about oneGlalf the
Galena company's price"
The report severely arraigns he
Standard methods of competition, say
ing:
"The Standard has repeatedly. after
becoming the owner of a competing
company, continued to operate it I'M
der the old name, carrying the idea
to the public that the company was
still independent III competing with
the Standard. 1t has used such pur-
chased or Independently organized
companies to kill off competitors by
such companies reducing prices. The
operation of such fake independent
C has been one of it's most eff
fective means of destroying competi-
tons. The Standard has nabitually
reduced h price against its compe-
titor in a particular locality, while
maintaining its prices at other places.
When competition was destroyed it
advanced or restored former prices.
The Standard has sold different grad
es of oil at different prices from the
same barrel. 1t has paid EMPLOYEES
of Independent oil companies for in
formation as to the business of these
competitors and has paid employees
of industrial companies to secure the
adoption of its oil in preference of
that of its competitors. Its agents
are instructed to secure customers
at any sacrifice. 1t has tempered with
the oil inspectors in different states.