The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-12-27
.BOMBSHELL HANGS
OYER OIL TRUST
Government Investigation Of
Standard Oil Leads to Vul-
nerable Point.
EVERY ALLY OF THE
TRUST Is UNDER BAN
Rockefeller Main Company, It's
Branches and Railroad Aids,
to Be Prosecuted.
Special to The Journal.

Special to The Journal
Chicago, Dec. 27.-Raymond in .
special to the Chicago Tribune, says:
FOR nearly year agents of the
slowly and patiently but persistently
gathering facts and figures on which it
was hoped to base successful attack
upon the gigantic monopoly known as
the Standard Oil company.
Great as this organizations is, the
United States government is greater,
IN spite Of the boast of some of the
STANDARD managers, and federal agents
and detectives have struck trail
which seems at last to lead into the
heart of the famous system.
Sensational Report.
Following upon the footsteps of gov.
ernment agents In Washington, Phila-
delphia, New, York and other cities,
have learned sufficient to convince me
tnat during the present winter and pos
slDly not long after the holidays, there
will be presented to congress report
which will be far more sensational than
that prepared against the beef trust.
ana at the same time another report
Will go. to the attorney general with a
suggestion that prosecution be insti-
tuted under the antitrust law, the in
terstate commerce law, the Elkins law.
against the Standard Oil company and
Its agents and managers, but also
against all railroad and subsidiary cor
poratlons by the use of which the
standard Oil company has controlled
the market in this country and killed
out all its competitors.
Trust Spies Run to Cover.
=, The work of the special agents Of
| cont Ic - =
Guided, but nearly so. They have de-
Veloped enough to started the country,
and the paid spies of the Standard Oil
company already have learned this and
nave begun to cover up evidence in an
t1clpation Of criminal prosecution by
the federal government.
The investigation into the affairs Of
conducted by Commissioner Garfield Of
the bureau Of corporations. It proceeds
/ IN the first place under the authority
OF special resolution of the house Of
| representatives, but every step of the
! investigation has been submitted NOT
! only to Mr.. Metcalf, secretary Of the
department Of commerce and labor, but
! /, 70 70 2fresldent 4 Roosevelt and both Of
them nave made valuable suggestions
| as to the line Of inquiry to be adopted.
Started in Kansas.
! This Investigation which is nov
| drawing to a close was started in tbe
qulesest sort Of fashion last February.
It was during the height of excitement
IN regard to Kansas oil fields.
IL was shown in congress that the
Z the victims Of gigantic confidence
game on the part of the Standard Oil
company. That great monopoly an
couragsd the farmers and promoters
generally to exploit the oil fields to the
! utmost extent. - -, -
Agents Of the Standard travelled ALL
over me OIL territory and did every-
digging Of more wells and prospecting
for new territory. The big corporation
bought all the oil offered at prices
which were the top market for fbe
whole country. No contracts were
made, but the producers were led to be.
lieve the demand for crude oil was nm
l1nlted, and IT they would only keep
the raw material to the Standard thew
would have a steady market at best
prices. -.. o's
This game was kept up, as reports
now IN possession Of the department.
show, until the Kansas oil field practi-
cally had reached the limit Of econom.
zeal development.
Put On the Screws.
Then the Standard put the screws ON.
1t controlled practically every outlet
from the Kansas field. Crude petro-
leum is nearly worthless in itself. It
possesses a real value only when re-
fined, and the Standard people knew
this, altho the farmers seem to have
forgotten it.
| Having, gotten all the wells into oper.
alton and worked the whole territory
. until it was capable of producing The
largest amount of crude oil, the Stan.
dard Oil company suddenly lost inter.
est In the situation, refused to purchass
except at a ridiculously low price. and
began gigantic game of freezeout. al
cordlng to old-time methods. The ides
was, of course. to drive the producers
into bankruptcy, because there was nd
market for their product. and then,
when the price Of Kansas oil leases wa
reduced ito the starvation point, The
| Standard Oil company, with character.
. isttc generosity, would come to the REF.
cue, not directly, but thru friends and
agents, and thus acquire possession Of
the Kansas field for song.
It is under the Campbell resolution
adopted last February tfNt the pend.
! ing inquiry is being prosecuted, and
/ as I have followed cautiously along
the line Of a government inquiry, am
satisfied evidence has been developed
which will more than Justify eyerv