The San Francisco call., 1905-06-09
THE OIL COMBINE.


expected discovery great bodies of petro-
eum in California would lead attempt control the out
put by the Standard Oil Company That trust is the largest
oil the world Immediately attention to the
control of every of supply lest its monopoly be broken
by competition In way and another said to be devious
and indirect the Standard has monopozed the oil OF California
The significance of this the be estimated
when is known that this State the largest oil producer the
world Russia We produced the latest statistics
available 2434o83o petroleum, valued $z3I32Z1 In
quantity produced oil counties Kern Fresno
Los Angeles Orange Ventura Santa Barbara and Santa Clara
The Standard secured control of the Kern County district poduc
ing 100000 barrels but the Coanga wells in Fresno Cou
with product of barrels maintained independence
by the building Of line Monterey owned by the Coanga
Oil and Transportation Company This was able to COM
pete and existence would naturally the extension OF its
operation fields such discovered in its territory
The first lesson learned by Mr. Rockefeller in the evolution OF
Of sneorst;on has abeo control Of production The Coalnga
Company him built profitable pipe line
Monterey Then appeared the other card in Mr. Roceteer
hand which he has played often and which has seldom tailed to
take the He threatened line Monterey from
the Kern County field and crush Coanga competition by
reducing plain that could do this easily His
from the field on Kern River runs through County and
branch much longer than the Coanga line would put his oil
into Monterey
1t is said that working this scheme he has the assistance
OF the Southern Pacific railway This probable for his immense
enable him subject railroads his will Any way
whether alliance with the railroad alone his threat has
compsed purpose the stock of the Coalnga Company in
under option of sale that few weeks When
this accomplished it the end of independence the oil fields
One only visit the producers Kern County be inn
pressed by the blight that has fallen them and the ruin their
fortunes that has through this monopoly of transportation
The Standard has the producer and the by the throat and
do i pleases with both
The matter affects California profoundly than anything
stue for coal Power in all OF cities depends
The pumping plants the reclaimed delta lands of the Sac
and San Joaquin built adjusted In
middle and upper stretches of the San Joaquin Valley where
flowing wells abundant irrigation by pump
gas engine distas of petroleum
OF pumping plants which cannot be without them. These
of thousands of make them product
So have involved the oil question
rural industries the great industries of drainage irrigation
engines that depend upon the of the oil and its dates
these rural industries that depend the the margin
between the possible and impossible that the
the oil bring balance which misery
balance which of land that
producing The population that will hear of the
monopoly with the keenes apprehension and discomfort
Perhaps there remedy
that will bring into focus the question of the legal of
oil pipe line Stages and steamboats, When
they substituted by the railroad
make of 1t such the things
Now respect the transportation of
necessity industriahscheme the pipe line
stute for the railroad Is not by parity of reasoning
At of the stage
the producers the other the
tive position the parties the emn of the pipe line
1t has every legal and feature of If
be deliver
intake and receive equivalent quantity the delivery
The transportation charged him will be public
and regulation and that be
This Importance to California
that where this last deal puts it. The people will
mand adjustment that will take their large group
of the hands of monopoly We have against
business combinations compelled by
law conform their policy the interests public
far outweigh the the individuals profit by
monopoly.