Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-25
A CASE OF NECESSITY.
PRODUCERS TO COMBINE AGAINST THE
STANDARD.

The Great Concern Now Has Complete Con-
troll of the Prices-An Indignant Ex-
preston From a Producer of Promi-
nence.
There is a strong undercurrent feeling
among the producers that ere long will
manifest itself in the most tangible form.
They say that the Standard has applied the
screws of oppression until there is no re-
treat but in submission and slavery, and that
the time has now arrived when, from the
sheer force of circumstances brought about by
the grasping monopoly, they must combine and
protect their interests. A prominent producer
who has been engaged in the production almost
from the first inception of the industry, de-
clared himself to THE DISPATCH scout to-day
III the following manner:
You need not be surprised some of these fine
days II you hear something drop. When
necessity becomes the mother of invention, as
is the case with the producer at present you
will find that we will rebel and throw off this
yoke and fight for our rights. Everything is in
our favor. and all that is necessary for the sue
cess of any feasible scheme is unity and con-
cord The producers, to begin with, control
seven-eighths of the production. Now, if they
would rise up in their might and market their
own product-take the business away from
the Standard-T would like to know how in
the world it could monopoliZe the business.
But many say this is an 1mpoSSlDlllty and IDaC
we are poor and weak ard unable to cope with
such a formidable and powerful monopoly as
the Standard. Why, this is nonsense and the
longer we defer action the harder it will be to
arrest the ryrannical grip of our enemy. Nature
has placed within our power one of the most
feasible means of liberty, and we are set of
chumps if We do not avail ourselves of this
opportunity. What refer to is the natural
water course of the Ohio river, which is
navigaple nine months of the year.
This is the cheapest transportation
known to the civilized world, and
while the Standard has already secured control
of all the railroads leading into the oil fields,
besides two or three trans-continental systems,
which virtually renders imperative the work
ings OF the Interstate commerce law, we thank
God they can't monopoliZe and control the
water ways. As / said before. with unity of
action could build two large retineries at a
point on the river just below Pittsburg, then
run our pipe lines into the fields of Butler. Ale
gheny and Washington counties, while the
white sand pools of Warrington and Belmont
could, at small cost, be connected with the
river, which, from the latter point is
navigable the year round. At New Orleans
we could build tanks and establish
a foreign depot where we could always keep
stock both of crude and refined to supply the
markets of South America and the Eastern
countries during the three months we could
not ship by water from Pittsburg. We have
one other means of redress and that is through
legislation. and have not the least hesitancy
IN saying bill will be drafted reducing the
rate of storage and plpeage now charged by the
Standard Oil Company. we DelleV6 that the
coming Legislature of Pennsylvania is suffi-
ciently conversant with the methodIcal ac-
ton and grinding policy of the Standard
toward the independent producers not to ignore
our Just claims and rights but If we hope to
succeed in this direction we must be up and a.
doing and set the ball to rolling at once. l am
informed that the Democrats of the Standard
Oil Company are already taking measures TO
have William A. Wallace, of Cleartield. ap-
pointed to the Attorney GeneralshIp who.
owing to his monopolistic tendencies, would
in sure the monopoly immunity against any
tax suits or anything else that might arise not
conducive to their interests. The producers
are now putting from Sl.0J0000 to Sl.2OO,00O
monthly into the vaults of the Standard
and why not take this money and build re-
fineries, pipe lines and other transportation ia
cilitieS and rise from serfdom. assert our man.
hood and conduct our own business. This is
not all. The Standard makes the market and
if they chalk down so cents on the blackboard
as the price for barrel of OIL the only alterna-
tive left US is to accept the inevitable and sing
low. AS predicted by the paper you represent
some time ago, the premium has been reduced
or, in other words, they have showed the mar
ket down 10 cents within the last month,
which is equivalent TO the same thing and ac-
complished their object without exciting the
Ire of the producer" II. MCC.