The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-06
CANADIANS WAGE WAR
ON THE STANDARD OIL
Producers and RehnerS Fighting
Proposal to Reduce Tariff
Oh Product.
MAY BE A TRUST MOVE

TORONTO March 4-Oil producers and
refiners OF the Dominion are engaged in a
spirited struggle to prevent the reduction
of the tariff oil imported from the
United States. A committee of oil men re-
Gently waited on the Dominion Cabinet
with a proposition to have the tariff cut
donp half or abolished.
The Canadian duty is five cents gallon
on crude or refined oil. It Is commonly
charged that Standard OIL interests lie in
obtaining the removal OF the duty on crude
oil. Then the vast supply at its disposal
I'm the States can be used to acquire all in
dependent holdings in Canada.
Ii is a curious fact that the Canadian oil
Industry has remained independent Of the
Standard. when other fields, even in re-
mote sections. have been largely controlled
by the trust.
The chief field in Canada is that COM
monty designated as the Petrola section.
That is confined to the western peninsula
OF Ontario and surrounds the town of that
name. In this field are 42O producers. OF
this number $50 are combined TO oppose
the reduction of the tariff or any tinker
Ing" with the customs law on oils.
These Independent producers say that IL
the reduction is made. the Imperial Oil
Company. which Is largely controlled by
the Standard, will control the Canadian
rany admits that the Standard has block
Of its stock but insists that IL is a genuine
corporation, organized under the Dominion
laws, and Is not trust. The Canadian
Refining Company, with the independent
producers in the majority. say that the
Imperial is wholly the creature OF the
Standard.
The Canadian oil field is the same as that
uncovered in Ohio about due north from
Findlay, that State. Contrary, however,
10 the experience of oil producers around
Findlay. the Petrolia producers have
found their supply but slightly diminished
since discovery. though the wells have been
opened for forty years in many cases. The
field here, however. is confined to a strip
three miles wide and seventeen miles long
Within this strip are more than ten thou
sand wells. The strata on each side seem
10 dip deeply toward the center of the earth
and around the edges OF the field thousands
or dollars have been wasted without get
ting sign of oil or natural gas.
There were i'm 1896 seven small re1neries
at PetrOlia. All OF these were acquired by
the Imperial. and five were dismantled.
The product previously handled at this site
was piped seventeen miles away TO the re-
nnery of the Imperial at Sarnia. Two that
were not torn down were retained as re-
ceiving points.
The independent producers resented this
move and organized the Canadian OIL
Company. building modern establish
ment with capacity OF 10000 barrels a
year From this source are distributed an
nually $4,000 gallons OF refined oil
throughout Canada. The Impcriafs large
refinery at Sarnia exceeds this by half. The
fight between these rivals has been bitter
since the Canadian came into the field.
The independent producers seem more
alarmed by the fact that the demand OF the
Imperial Company Is for a reduction OF the
tariff on crude OIL only and not on the re-
fined commodity. They think they see I'm
this menace 10 the interests OF the Cana
dian product
The Imperial Company. the contrary.
asserts that the fact that II asks a reduc-