The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-29
STANDARD SCORED.
BY Commission
Evidence Demonstrates That
Methods Have Been Unfair
and Even Disrcputable.
COMPETITION CRUSHED OUT
Prices PuttDown in Many Places
for This Purpose and Then
Raised Again.

terstate Commerce Commission To-Day
sent to Congress- report of the inves-
legations made by 1t under the Iillinan-
Gillespie resolution. approved March
7th last, concerning the relations OF
common carriers by rail to the produc-
ton and distribution of oil. The re-
port covers the distribution of petro-
leum and its products east of the. Mis-
sissippt River, and, incidentally, the
Kansas and Texas fields The report
which the Standard OIL Company has
built up and perpotuated its monopoly
and the relations of transportation
a aer,nd tsa to that monopoiy. 1t Is as
has been distinct part OF the policy
OF the STANDARD OIL Company in thepast,
systematically and pcrsistcntly pur-
sred mas been gone into fully in the
report on oil and it's distribution, made
public by the Bureau OF Corporations.
Railroads Not Interested.
No instance Is found. says the
report. where any railway company
petroleum productions. and only one
instance IL shown where officials of
railway company were Interested In
the production and sale of OIL This
relates to certain officials of the Bal
timoro and Ohio Southwestern Rail-
road having owned stock of the Ar
gand Raining Company, which was
on their recommendation afterwards
. Sy'Q " tIlS5 StnnuHtu pll company,
and the. lubricatlng contract which
ti;e road transferred to the Galena
OIL Company. Standard company
he Standard Oil Comp:e1y largely
monopolizes the handling of petro-
leun, from the mouth of the well
until 1t Is sold TO tho retailer, and
sometimes to the consumer. and under
ordinary circumstances It's margin of
shows little basis Tor tho contention
Thar the enormous dividends of the
Standard Oil Company are the legiti-
mate result of its economies. Except
for Its pine lines. the STANDARD has
but little legitimate advantage over
the independent reflner.
Ruin of Competitors.
THE ruin OF It's competitors has
been distinci part Of the policy of
the Standard OIL Company in the
past, Systematically and perslstentIy
pursued. One method has been the
espionage over the shipments of its
competitors. resulting In knowledge
as to the destination of every car OF
oil leaving the refinery of an indepen-
dent The Standard agent at the
destination is held responsible If the
independent oil is sold. The testi-
m mon shows that the Standard at
voted fund TO the purpose of OBJ
tanning this Information. 1t has fire.
quently happened when the supply
OF Independent oil In a particular
territory was low and q shipment was
Many local kgents OF railroads have
been in the employ OF the Standard
and this may account for the unsat-
isfactory sertice accorded to indepen-
dent shippers"
Stamps Out Competition.
Some of tho methods of competition
INDUCED in BY the Standard are as fol
lows:
THE Standard has repeatedly,
after becoming the owner of a COM
peung company. continued to operate
1t under the old name. carrying the
| idea TO the public that tie company
was still Independent. and competing
| with the Standard. 1t mas used such
! purchased or independently organized
companies to Kill off competitors by
| such companies reducing prices. Tho
| operation of such fake Independent
concerns has been ono of its most
effective means Of destroying com
| petition, The Standard has habtualiy
| reduced the price against its compe-
titor in particular loca:ity, While
maintaining its prices NJ other ininces;
When competition was DESTROYED
| 1t restored or advanced former
prices. The Standard has sold diff
ferent grades of oil Mt different prices
from the same barrel. 1t han pit!d
employees OF independent oil com
panes for informat:on as to tho
business of those competitors, and
has paid employees OF Industrial COM
panies to secure the adoption OF Its
oil in preference to that Of its com.
petitors. 1t has followed every barrel
Of independent oil to destination. It's
agents are instructed to secure GUS
toners at any sacrifice. 1t has tam
pered with tho on Inspectors IN dlf7
ferent States. The laws of several
States concerning the inspection of
oil are singularly directive. and this.
has been turned to profit by the
| Standard.
Ma+bods Unfair and Disrep,,tab1