The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-08-08

attacks have been made upon oil all
along the line, the attacking party
working so quietly, however, that it's
real aim has scarcely been known and
few have realized that there was any
trouble on foot.
Battle Is Now On.
Now the battle will be in the open.
Standard Oil is beginning to sit up and
take notice. Mr.. Rockefeller is going
to spend few of his tainted dollars
for the salary and travelling expenses
of a mysterious individual whose du-
ties will be to study out a plan of
compaign. John D. doesn't want to
lose the Washington market for Stan
dard Oil, or for that matter, any other
market. Miss Tarbell has convinced
him that great many people in the
United States don't think he is i'm
pregnable. John D. will try to con-
vince Washington state that he is.
Coal men mere think they can show him
a few things even about nigh finance
and freeze out" when it comes to a
show down.
The first intimation the general pub
lie had of the situation was when some
of the biggest railroad, steamship and
other corporations in the state, all of
which are directly or indirectly inter-
ested in coal mines, began to make a
big fight against converting the fire
boat Snoqualmie into an oil burner.
with the Seattle board of public works,
which read in part as follows:
1--WE, the undersigned, owners of
waterfront property, wish to protest
against the proposed changing of the
fireboat Snoqualmie into an oil burner.
We believe it can be shown to be more
expensive and less effective than coal.
We consider the use of oil unsafe and
the storage of it on the steamer and in
large quantities at the fireboat station
a menace to shipping and not beneficial
to the best interests of this port
Powerful Interests involved.
Not one of the signers of this pro-
test, and all were big concerns, but
was interested, directly or indirectly, in
coal mines or the carrying of coal. Not
one of the signers, it is confidently as
serted, but entered the protest, not be-
cause he thought property would be
jopordized by the use of oil on the
fireboat, but because he would strike
even a small blow at the oil trust in
the state.
]. D. Farrell absolutely committed
the Great Northern railroad in the
matter. He placed the railroad-not
small section of it, but the entire
road-in the position Of striking blow
at Standard Oil. C. M. Levey signed
for the Northern Pacific railroad. Yet
botn of the railroads carry thousands
of gallons of Standard oil into a dozen
states The Pacific Coast company
placed itself on record. Yet the Pa
cific Coast company on the vessels Of
the Pacific Coast Steamship company,
carries much Standard OIL
Attached to the protest were news
paper clippings, letters and all man.
ner of proof that oil was dangerous on
a vessel. The companies would have it
appear that it was in the interests of
safety that the protest was filed. 1t is
asserted by unimpeachab1e authority
that the protest was signed simply and
solely as part of the war tactics of
the local opponents Of the oil trust.
In hundreds of other ways the battle
has been waged. 1t is estimated that
the attacks on the oil company have
diminished it's market already by
thousands of gallons annually. 1.-THE
trust must be forced OUT is the slo-
gan Of the coal men, and they are do
ing everything in their power to win
their fight.
Local agents of the Standard Oil
people have just awakened to the sit
uation and have advised Mr.. Rockefel-
Ter. When his special representative
reaches here he will find the enemy
strongly intrenched and the fight that
will result promises to be an inter-
esting one.