Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-22
DEATH OF BEDFORD
ENDS FAMILY FEUD
82-Year-0Id Oil Magnate
Fought Many Competitive
Battles With Son.
BY JOHN F. SINCLAIR.

NEW IOfSA, May % NNsAsNsfAsJs--
The passing of E. T. Bedford, 82-year-
old oil magnate, removes a strange
family competition from American busi-
ness. Starting as a worker on his
fathers farm and then becoming a
salesman for an oil concern, he rose
to a leading position in that industry.
Later he fought many competitive bat
ties with his own son after starting
him in business
When his son, Frederick Thomas,
became old enough to enter the bust
ness world, Mr.. Bedford already had
millions. He was then a member OF
the board of directors of the Standard
Oil Co., but he felt the oil industry
was q poor place for his son, in the
belief that it had reached its apex.
So he started Frederick in the corn
oil products business, which soon ex-
panded and came into competition
with his own.
The father was honorary director in
his sons firm without salary, while
Frederick Thomas was the actual man
ager The competition got sharp and
hot, and soon, responding to his deep
business instincts, the father was fight
ing his sons company tooth and nail.
That combat continued to the day he
died Yet every morning father and
son rode to work together on the same
train and played cards till they ar
rived in New York. Business was taboo
as topic of conversation.
But there was another side to Mr..
Bedford. He not only loved and raised
beautiful flowers, but he was breeder
of fine horses, for which he was world
famous. His death, so soon after
George F. Baker whom he greatly re-
sembled in appearance, reminds us that
the old line of grim fighters is getting
thin.
In London and Geneva this week the
Russians have been much in evidence.
At the English capital the Soviet dele
gates calmly SHIPPED at former Gov. Sam
McKelvie of Nebraska, chairman of the
American delegation to the world wheat
conference.
Poland and Australia had worked up
plan for an international wheat
cartel but Mr.. McKelvie emphasized
the American diStaSte for the proposal
in a formal statement, which fatty
announced that the United States would
not agree to any such proposition.
After the conference got under way
the Russians launched series Of
speeches lauding the Polish and Aus
glad they would be to join it, where
upon every nation represented at the
parley, except the United States, fell
in behind the Soviet delegation.
At Geneva, Mixim Litvinoff, Russian
delegate, pointed out that the proposed
land mortgage bank is not satisfactory,
since it can advance no loans on grow
ing crops, but only on farm land, and
this, he said, leaves large part of
the farmers exactly where they were.
Communist farmers in Russia, Of
course, own no land, and this was partly
bid to alter the nature of the bank
so that the Soviets would be eligible
for loans. M. BRAND, friendly toward
NJ. Lityinoff's idea, promised consid-
GRAFTON, and perhaps even cooperation.
Joseph B. Eastman, member of the
Interstate Commerce Commission, places
the solution of what he regards as our
vicious railway system In public owner
ship and jokingly calls himself a Boil
shevik.
Born at Katonah, N. Y, the son of
a clergyman, he was graduated from
Amherst in 1904. For about seven
years he worked, unnoticed, under a
fellowship in a social settlement in
Boston. There he was in constant con-
tact with the underdog, and it was
there that he came to have deep con-
Germ for the public welfare.
In 1914, MIR. Eastman came into the
PQOllC C10 CS COnllSE1 luz WOIkGIS
series of wage arbitration cases with
street railway corporations. He was
later appointed to the Massachusetts
Public Service Commission by Cows.
Walsh and Mccall, and subsequently
became a member Of the Interstate
Commerce Commission in 1919, where
he has been ever since.
During the past IL years he has at
tracted national attention by his vigor-
Gus opposition to what he regards as
encroachmentS by the railroads on
public rights.
IT have an abiding conviction" says
this vigorous commissioner, that the
sound and sensible way to carry on such
a business is for the Government to
assume complete responsibility for it.
Certainly such plan would be perfer-
able to the present system Of divided
responsibility and dual control"
Make motor trucks and passenger
buses pay their way on the highways
built and paid for by the citizens of the
country, is the demand making itself
heard everywhere today.
The gasoline tax as 1t exists in the
various States means little. All opera
tors, commercial and nom monumental
pay alike, but the reads are being in
creasingly monopolized by commercial
carriers.
Plans for taxing the commercial bus
have not been lacking. Thus far all of
them have been rejected as impracti-
cal or unfair. A sensible proposal has
been made by the Portland Civic News
Of Louisville, KY, which suggests a
mileage tax based on two factors: One
is the seating capacity or loading ca
pacity Of ths> carriers; second, rate per
mile is worked out from this figure.
The motor truck or bus would then pay
tax on the total mileage covered
within each State.
Copyright, 1881, by the North American
Newspaper AIlance)