Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-18
TIE 1RugE OF COAL OH.
A Demand Nhat Recent Advances Be
Investigated.

&40VeSI1SAtoOs
To the Editor of Ths Evening Star:
In noting the imposition of another out
rageous taxsMpon the scanty earnings OF
the poor by the Standard Oh Company. you
do not appear able to extract much infor-.
nation froms the dealers in oil as to the
true inwardnesssof this wholesale robbery
Of the poor aad lpwly.
It is well known that there are more oil
wells in operation today than ever before
In the history OF the world and that oil In
first hands Is lower in price, from the
abundant production, than ever known be-
fore.
The sole reason for this increase Is be-
cause the American citizen is absolutely
defenseless as far as his pocket book is
concerned against any corporation having
the sanction of law. He is legitimate prey.
ANY one with the brains and money to buy
up venal backwoods legislature can for
few hundred dollars secure an Injunction
PROOF license to rob and plumber him at
their pleasure
The head OF the oil conspiracy against
the public has donated one million dollars
or the peoples money to one OF his fads
In Chicago. That money was wrung from
the sweat of the poor. The rich have no
use for coal OIL This Christian gentleman
Is evidently as much worried over the lack
or culture and refinement among the field
hands of the south as he is over the same
shortage In Chicago, and has announced
his intention to devote several millions OF
the public's wealth to improve the condi-
ton among those lacking these great es-
sentiais, SO you may as well prepare Tor
several more advances in the price OF oil.
We know where he will get it.
Our forefathers, so a fable used to read,
once threw a shipload OF tea into Boston
harbor and fought long war for less
imposition than this, but, of course, 1t could
not have been So With a grasping monopolist
IN control of every necessary OF life, starv-
ing this city, freezing that one, robbing all
Vxyifh tha
ments, our institutions OF learning and the
American Congress itself pleading for
enough coal to permit of its meeting to
provide for the common welfare to say
nothing Of the shivering individual, let me,
in the name of this outraged and suffering
community, ask you, public oracle to
tell us, if you know where this is to end.
If the government of the United States
itself undertook to rob and harry the peo-
pie as is done by these thriving corpora
tons there would be revolution.
Living in land flowing with milk and
honey" we submissively feed on husks
and not only that but we beg for the great
privilege of paying four times the actual
value of said husks.
The patrimony Of our children, we people
who work for our bread and butter. is
stolen from us as fast as received. Few
workingmen have a surplus these days.
fewer and fewer will ever own house.
The trusts absorb much more than the diff
ference In wages general prosperity offers
' F. A. coGswELL.
To the Editor of The Evening Star:
Within little more than a month the re-
tail price of coal oil has been increased
nearly or quite 80 per cent.
VIII The Evening Star employ it's facili-
ties to find out and advise the public just
where the responsibility rests for this enor-
nous outrage. 1t does not need argument
to prove that 1t is an outrage and crime.
There has been no strike at the coal oil
wells. There has been no stoppage Of pro-
duction Of OH. Great Is the present de-
mand for coal OF it is not beyond the power
Of the monopoly which controls the output
to supply itifrom the enormous stock on
hand. The situation therefore is materially
different from the coal situation, with no
stock on hand and a demand in excess of
the supply.
Apparently the increase of the retail
price from andf3 cents to II cents per gal
Ion is robbery, pure and simple. We want
to know just who are the robbers. Is 1t
John D. Rockefeller and his Standard Oil
Company? Is it the Rockefeller who is just
at this time advertised giving millions
to theological institutions? If so, the
thought obtrudes itself: Is 1t to enable him
to give millions that cents a gallon is
added to his product? One cent gallon
increase makes y an added profit to the
Standard Oil Company Of 100000. Three
cents a gallon adds $24 100000 to the profits
of the octopus. Who gets it? Is 1t divided,
one-third to the Standard Oil Company,
one-third to the distributors in the several
cities and one-third to the retailer?
In the name of the millions Of humble
consumers of coal oil, from whom this 30
per cent of increase is filched, l ask that
The Star investigate and report the facts,
and, if necessary name names, in order
that we may at least have the satisfaction
of knowing who it is who have SO richly
deserved the public scorn and detestation
"'''''' '''' W. ]. NORRIS.