The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1921-12-09
AtYURl NAMES
OIL hARKETERS
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSIONERS
STATES DEALERS HAVE FORM
Ed PRICE COMBINE
Prompt Notice Given Forthcoming
Advance and Listing Of Re-
taiiers Contained In
Accusations


Observation-Disclosures OF the indie.
pendent Petroleum Marketers' associa-
ton were charged by the federal trade
commission Friday with having agreed
among themselves to maintain the
prices and selling practices established
in the state OF California by the Stand
ard OIL Company of California.
The charges Of the commission were
contained in the second section of its
report to the senate on price and com.
petitlve conditions in the California oil
Industry.
The commission declared that Los
Angeles officials Of the Standard Oh
company were notified promptly" BY
member of the marketers' association
of understandings and agreements rel.
alive to price maintenance within thai
association, thereby placing the Stand
ard In better position to know wher
a new price advance would be follow.
ed.
The commission also asserted thai
records since 1915 disclose that the
Standards prices in California nav,
been followed generally by all mem
bers Of the Marketers' association. Il
| is declared that the association hac
| prepared list Of peddlers and other
| retailers who refused to sell at the
agreed prices, and held the distributors
responsible. for that class of trade
would not receive supplies until the re.
tailers maintained the list prices.
"SInce the fall of 1915" the commits.
sion continued certain sales MANA
gers and local representatives of large
marketing companies, particularly o.
the Standard Oil company and the
Union Oil company, frequently con
ferred, and usually arrived at an un.
Outstanding as to the differentials IL
the prices to be charged individual
customers and to various classes o.
purchasers. Presidents Of the STAN
dard and Of the Associated Oil com.
pany deny that these practices were
either consented to or known of by the
higher officials of their respective com.
panies.
The COMMISSIONS report further sa.f
; that the Standard OIL interest were
! in dominant position in the Cali
fornia industry but quoted a letter
from II. X. Kingsbury, president of the
California Standard, in which he de
, MED as was reported to the commits.
sion that his company was adding to
It's holdings by gaining control of the
9 Pacific Oil company.
: About 20 per cent of the stock of that
company was bought by the Standard
! Mr.. Kingsbury wrote, in order to pro.
!. tect its oil supply against invading
foreign interests, said by the commits
sion to be the Royal Dutch-Shel group
!, Denial was made by officials of thu
:, Dutch-Shell interests, however, tina
4 they had bought, or were seeking t.
;, buy, Pacific Oil stock.
g. The commission set forth, anon;
II | Tile dSTeelucuLS WHICH IL NioAhASN "
% have found, one covering bids Of oil re
"a quirements Of the city of Los Angelo
in December 1916. Memorandum
certain meetings Of representatives
N four comprehensive Standard the Un
Of ion, the Western anu the Californl
N Oil and Asphalt-showed, the commits
a, sion said, hiatt they were to bid on tn
in requirements, and that ut was agree
o.. all should bid / cent off, open tan
n wagon market price, at the time an
ed place of delivery.
no Later records showed, the commi
sion added, that three of the compG
les submitted bids at the agreed pri
Ia in December, and another in Januar
IN 1917.