The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-03-07
THE Pennsylvania OIL MO.
NOPOLY.
An Attempt to Lay Tribute on All
the OIL Produced in Pennsylvania
s.hesiStenCe OF the produceFs,

''"S w If0uuC6u IN pennsylvania
..hesistencc OF the Producers.
On CITY, Pa, March G.-The attempt.
ed new feature In the petroleum business
OF the United States Is one which ouphtt IN
have thorough publicity throughout the
whole world, Through the loose lepisla.
ton Of the Assembly Of Pennsylvania an
organization has been formed called In It's
charter "thc South Improvement Com.
pany," which Is combination made up
OF the refining interests and all the rail.
way interests leading out Of the oil re.
gtons OF Pennsylvania, which together
propose to make themselves the sole and
exclusive middle men between all tho oil
producers on one hand and all the con.
sumcrs of oil throughout the globe on the
other. This combination actually repre-.
sents refining capacity more than equal
to the entire production Of crude oil, and
also controls the entire transportation
going out OF the producing regions Of
Pennsylvania, so that 1t can be truly said
that the combination is as perfect as such
thing can be.
The operation OF this combination Is
intended TO be simply this, that every bar.
rel OF oil produced shall pass through the
hands OF this company, and shall pay
tribute to said company, starting off at
say the ratio Of one dollar per barrel, and
this toll shall como out Of the producers
and consumers, or both. The plea OF the
combination after the exposure, rs made
to the producing interests, is this, that It
is designed 10 assure profltableness to the
refinery and transportation interests con-
cerncd In tho combination, and also
profitableness to the producers, and that
OF the consumers at home, but especially
the consumers across the Atlantic must
pay any increase in the price of petro-
leum, caused by the operations OF the
scheme. In short 1t is huge attempt to
arrest and prevent the natural course Of
production, trRde, industry and commerce,
rs applied to petroleum, in order that Ger.
tam refining interests may not only
monOpolize that business, but that they
may make 1t pay them such profits as
they desire, and further that the railway
transportation interests may in Sthe future
escape the effects Of their past suicidal
competition for the oil carrying trade.
The producers and reiiners throughout
the oil regions, without IN exception, have
during the past ten days been holding
mass meetings at OIL City and Franklin,
looking TO the total security from all ex-
isting railway transportatiOns going out OF
the oil regions, and also from all refining
interests engaged in the combination, not
only on account Of this particular and
greatest combination, but because similar
combinations OF like nature have many
times occurred, ever since there has been
one railway leading out and ever since the
refining capacity has been in the United
States alone double and treble the amount
OF the production Of crude, and 1t Is with
scorn and contempt of these mass meet.
lngs that they receive the communications
from the officers Of the South Improve.
ment Company during three or four days,
which is an attempt TO create the impres.
sion that this combination is meant for
and will c0nduce to the profit OF the pro-
ducers, and that 1t is alone the consumers,
and especially foreign consumers, who
will be made TO stand the extra cost of
the refined petroleum, and this will be
done through heavy export duty on
crude and IN other ways.
The General Committee of the Re-
tincrs' and Producers Association, as
organized by and through these mass
meetings, has been in session all of to.
day at Oil City, and, as a temporary
measure, at 5 O'Clock this evening passed
unanimously resolution which binds all
OF the members o. the Association to sell
oil TO no one connected with the South
improvement Company, and all who buy
from the Association must agree that the
oil shall not go to the South Improve
ment Company or to any of its agents.
The Reliners' and Producers Association
represents quite all OF those interested in
this business in the oil regions OF Pennsyl.
vaniG.