The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-03-02
POTATOES AS FOE
TO STANDARD OIL
Alcohol :. Producing Vegetables
May Be Used as Weapons
Against Trust.
CONGRESSMAN STEVENS
FATHER OF THE PLAN
Would Encourage Production Of
Alcohol to Compete with
Petroleum By-products.
HyiW. w. jern,ane.

washington, MdTCn - OF CH0 uTSG
time in the history Of the country, fed
ing for the purpose Of bringing an op-
pressive trust under proper regulation.
It is the understanding here that it
the inquiry into Standard Oil affairs by
western states and the government do
velops the insult fciency Of existing laws
to correct the evils complained Of, the
president will make the subject promi-
nent in his message TO- congress next
lation. But Il, on the other hand, the
government already has the requisite
power, the STANDARD Oil company is to
be given shakeup In the courts SINH
lar to that now being prepared for the
beef trust. s5sf >@1 "a
General Movement on Trusts.
It is undoubtedly the purpose Of the
president, during the next four years,
to make a: general forward movement
vor. His course thus far is merely a
promise Of what is to come. It is his
1audable ambition to- accomplish some
thing worth while in the interest Of the
people against these modern representa-
\ tives Of medieval feudalisn1, and when
he says that the whole machinery Of the
federal government is to be brought
into play to that end, the people may
confidently believe that he means what
Meanwhile, the recent agitation
brought out suggestion which may
prove to be Of the highest value. The
suggestion comes from Representative
Stevens Of Minnesota, who Is one Of the
strongest mon In congress from the mid
die west. It is well known that the
STANDARD Oil company, in addition to
supplying Illuminating oil, manufact-
Iures. a large number Of by-products
from crude petroleum. Several years
ago, during The agitation in congress
over the Cuban reciprocity treaty. 1t
was diseov cred that alcohol produced in
Germany, France and Sweden contained
10 per cent more heat, light and power
units than petroleum, and was sold at
retail in those countries for the same
price that petroleum demanded In this
country. ~ af.. ; z, =
;, Tariff Club Over Standard Oil.
This discovery may serve an impor
tant purpose when congress gets ready
seviss The tariff asbly g +. 9 sfs
vens has in mind would strike thu
Standard Oil company body blow and
, perhaps, do more than all things els'
put together to bring this ofensiv
trust to realizing sense Of the right
-. Of the people. Mr.. Stevens would hav'
tho schedules covering potatoes, suga
beets, corn and like products SO amend
ed as to establish in this country
market for tremendously increase
yield Of those articles. This exces
yield could then be converted into al
\ lcohol, after the ext sting custom in tn
Enropean countries lust named and thi
alcoh oil would come directly into com
petition with Standard OIL petroleum
j. for the generating Of heat, light an
:. |power. The trust would here presen
d the tenderest spot in it's body to tn
r inviting thrust Of the knife Of compt
q tition at the hands of the public a
l. large, and as potatoes, sugar beets, corr
o ETC., can produce q grade Of alcoht
a costing much less than petroleum use
II for the purposes enumerated, substal
l. tial progress would at once be mad