NUMBER 8 (See page 72)
ORGANISATION OF THE PETROLEUM PRODUCERS' UNION OF 1872
[From "A History of the Rise and Fall of the South Improvement Company," pages 8-10.]
1. The territory forming the Pennsylvania petroleum field shall be divided into sixteen districts. . . .
2. The producers in each district shall meet at some convenient place and choose one or more (not to exceed five) men, from their own number, through whose hands they shall pledge themselves to sell all their crude oil.
3. It shall be the duty of these committeemen to sell the crude oil coming into their hands: First, to the local refiners; second, to the agents of the refiners located in distant cities, as may be designated by the executive committee; and third, to such shippers, dealers, and exporters as may be named by the executive committee, and it shall be the further duty of said local committeemen to keep the executive committee fully posted as to what is being done in their respective districts with reference to the sale and removal of all crude oil.
4. There shall be an executive committee composed of members of the Petroleum Producers' Union, to consist of one from each of the sixteen districts, to be chosen by the local committee, whose duty it shall be to meet from time to time, and take all necessary measures to fully carry out this plan in all its details.
5. That for the purpose of paying the expenses of this committee, one cent a barrel on all the crude oil shall be levied, collected, and paid over by the local committeemen to the executive committee, of which the executive committee shall keep an account to be rendered to the producers at a future meeting.
6. It shall be the especial duty of the executive committee to take such measures as they may find necessary to secure uniform mileage rates of freights on all oil and merchandise of every kind, to and from the Oil Region, and employ all lawful measures for the abolition of the railway system of rebates or drawbacks.
PLEDGE
"I do hereby agree to sell all my production of oil through, or with the consent of, the committee of the Petroleum Producers' Union."
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