The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1908-11-25
Declares System Inures 10
Benefit of Consumer and
Boasts of PrOwess.
Thinks He Didn't Do So Badly
at il.
ON STAND IN FEDERAL COURT

New York, Nov. 25.--Closing his
testimony in the federal suit to dis
solve the Standard Oil company, John
ID. Rockefeller. threw some unexpect-
ed light upon the popular question of
into what channels of investment he
turns his tremendous earnings from
the oil combination
After some legal contention by
counsel, he said that he held stock
In the Delaware, Lackawanna and
Western, the New York Central, the
Pennsylvania, the Western Maryland,
the Missouri Pacific, the Texas Pacific
and the Colorado Southern. He sad
he owned no shares In either the
Union or the Southern Pacific. He
said he opposed the keeping of mill
lions of dollars Of surplus by the
! Sandard.
John d. Archbold, vice president OF
the Standard, proved a mine of de-
tailed Information under direction OF
the company's counsel regarding the
early production of crude oil and the
development of the pipe line system.
Mr.. Archbold likely will be ON the
witness stand for several days.
The most daring thing In Mr.. Arch
holds testimony this afternoon was
his defense OF the rebate. Generally
considered pernfcious, made a crime
by the laws of congress. the rebate or
drawback seemed to Mr.. Archbold
worthy institution He did more
than admit that he had sought and
even fought for rebates. He prided
himself on being a champion rebate
getter, declaring that be had even
beaten out the Standard Oil company
before he went into the oil trust.
Good Rebate Getter.
Here, in his own words, is the
most spirited and audacious defense
Of the rebate yet spread on court
records:
my answer on the question gen.
Ierally would be that the carriage OF
freight was a question of bargain as
between shippers and the railroad.
Il was true of all that period. that or
the period up to date, II you please.
of the passage of the interstate COM
Imerce law.
ANY man knew that he could go
to the railroad and bargain for the
transportation of his goods, as he
would go to a merchant and bargain
for bill of goods 1t was a question
lof bargain. and the tremendous talk
labout our company having been par
ticularly favored in any respect in it's
relations to the railroad. in the fact
that II made the best bargains il
could for the transportation OF its
goods, has been very unjust indeed.
eve were in no different attitude
toward that question than other large
shippers and indeed every large ship
per of every other considerable traffiL
in the United States, and the people
who have made that cutlery have done
| il for unfair and Interior purposes.
Bargain for Price.
There has been no reason for Il.
Every man who had freight to trans
port knew that he could go to the
different railroads and bargain among
them for a price at which 1t should
/ be transported.
81 arranged for the freight. bar
gained for the freight Cor Porter.
Moreland & company, and for num-
Der of other concerns whom | repre-
scented in the shipment of goods, just
as closely as | knew how, through all
those years. and | found after know
ing more ahoat the business OF the
STANDARD Oil company that l had not
done so badly in many cases.
81 want to say that the popular
understanding on any special rate or
rebate or whatever you may call II as
Having Injured to the benefit OF thu
shipper is erroneous. When a MANI
faeturer OF those days got rebate OF
transportation from the railroad he
Immediately made that a part of his
cost. and the consumer invariably. il
lit was a reduction. got the benefit OF
lit. I state that as a rule that applied
in my knowledge of the business OF
lthoco dave -