Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-02-28
KANSAS FIGHTING OIL Trust.
Whole State Aroused in Effort to Shake
OFF MnnnnoIx,s Grin

Kansas has set out to fight the coun-
try's most powerful trust-Standard Oil.
Under the leadership of determined
Governor, it is demanding of the Legis-
.ature that appropriations be made in
aid of the plan by which the Rockefeller
interests are to be made to feel that they
are not all powerful. Should Kansas be
successful. similar results might follow
in other States. Ever leader in pub
lie policies-and sometimes in pubic fol-
lies-the latest venture of the Kansas
statesmen will be watched everywhere
with interest. Throughout this State it
has aroused much enthusiasm
The Moses of this crusade is Gov. e.
A. Hoch, a country editor with ideals
who was elected to the governorshi9 in
November. He began the fight between
the State of Kansas and the Standard
Oil Company when he advised in mes
sage to the Legislature Immediately at
ter his Inauguration that a State refinery
be established. He declared that the
trust was getting an evil grip upon the
State and that it was not dealing fairly
with the producers of oil. Newspapers
have charged that bribery on a large
scale has been attempted and a commit
tee was appointed to investigate, where
upon there was a wholesale exodus or
lobbyists from Topeka.
Acting upon the Governors advice, a
bill establishing State oil refinery at
a cost of 100000 has been introduced
in the Legislature. Other measures aim
ed at the Standard Oil Company are a
bill to make pipe lines common carriers
and compelling them to deliver the pro-
duct of any producer to any consignee
who may have a place of business near
the line; bill fixing maximum freight
rate of cents barrel on crude and re-
fined oil from points in the field to the
large manufacturing centers of the State,
and a bill prohibiting discrimination be-
tween different localities or consumers in
different parts of the State on the prices
of any commodity sold by any company
or corporation. The latter measure is es-
pecially designed to prevent the Standard
from selling oil cheap in one part of the
State and increasing its price in local-
ties where it has absolute control of the
situation.
The trust instituted boycott. 1t de-
clared that because of unfriendly legisla-
ton it would purchase no more Kansas
oil. The effect of this is to close the oil
industry of the State, thriving out of
work about 1000 men. THE closing of
the plants and shutting down of the pipe
lines" says a Standard Oil magnate,
will let the legislators and people see
what adverse legislation would do to the
industries of the State and will probably
create a sentiment among the people in
favor of the State abandoning the plan
of entering the oil business"
In this conclusion he is in error. The
effect has rather been to arouse the
State to the power of the trust and
make it more determined TO rid itself
thereof. The farmers of the State are
urging the Legislature to build the REIN
cry and hundreds of them are purchasing
oil stock.
The leaders of the antitrust fight are
confident that with the establishment of
a State refinery, which will free the
| State from the shackles of the monop-
oily a great impetus will be given to the
industry, that thousands of men, not now
employed in oil production, will be given
work in this field and that Kansas will
rival Ohio and Pennsylvania as a pro-
ducerl