The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-07
VOICE OF PEOPLE.
What the Papers Say About the
Oil Situation.
Almost Unanimous in Demand
for Legislative Action.
HIT STANDARD HARD.
No Use to TempOrize With the
Trust.
Summary of Things Clipped
From Kansas Papers.
HIT STANDARD HARD.

Ottawa Herald: The proposition that
&he state shall, instead Of investing
some four hundred thousand dollars in
an oil refinery, set aside twenty-five to
Gfty thousand dollars for experimental
purposes, requires some explanation be
fore it can be set down as an econom-
acal measure.
The majority of opinion will divide
between two conclusions-either the
state should establish refinery and
run it, or it should let the enterprise
alone.
Either the state should ''go after the
Standard Oil monopoly or it should
make no pretenses of competing with
the Standard in its own industry. There
are not many who will believe that it
becOmes the state to play around in the
bushes and cry boo" at the Standard
or that the Standard is likely to show
much agitation if the state does make a
few scary noises.
It is agreed that the state may be go
ing a considerable distance into social
Ism If it establishes an oil refinery. On
this basis there is a great deal of sin
rere opposition to the refinery bill
among Republicans who hate the Stan
lard Oil company none the less because
they have certain fixed and well defined
notions about the prOpriety of the pub
Al+ government engaging III WIldL dEc
commonly considered private business
Enterprises.
But if the state concludes to lay aside
these objections and to appropriate
money for the relief of the oil prOduc-
ers, ii can do so upon no other theory
than that the Standard Oil company is
so all-pOWerful in its field, and so thor
0Hghly in control of the situation that
private enterprises-the man with TWEEN
ty-five to fifty thousand dollars-will
have no show in competing with it. If
this is the case and If the argument is
strong enough to JUSTIFY any invest
ment. then 1t is also strong enough to
dtssuade the state from frittering away
any twenty ive-thousand-dollar appro-
prtation trying to scare the Standard
OH company by placing the money in
the hands Of a legislative committee
with no other commission than to ex-
pertinent. The monuments in the Stan
daFd cOmpany's graveyard mark the
resting place OF good many industries
that started out to buck the Standard
ON experimental lines.
The information which the legislature
Should seek to guide it. once it has
made up its mind that the state can
1egitimateIy engage in oil refining, is
easily available. It can be had with
out the investment of money The
amount of production in the Kansas
field the cost of the plant the cost of
refining oil per barrel the amount of
various products from a barrel of oil,
the current price of these products
these are all matters OF such common
knowledge in the oil field that the Stan
dard's profits in a barrel of oil are
published in cents and fractions. There
are reports Of official and private in
vestigations throughout the country
which show in detail the costs and
profits of the oil business. The expert
menting has all been done.
twill be the general opinion that Kan
SaS should look the oil refinery PROPOSE
ton squarely in the face, weigh fully
the. well-known objections to the I'M
dertaking. and if these objections are
too strong to be overcome, make no
compromises for the mere sake of
placating the oil interests. If Kansas
s@ to spend money to save Kansas oil
she should spend it in a. permanent in
Vestment. 1t will be hard enough to
Eight the Standard when the states goes
at It in earnest.
Ellsworth Reporter: The law pro-
posed in the legislature for the estaO-
1fshment of a state refinery for ell
As very popular in this section of the
state, and it is about the only law
that will make the Standard Oil COM
pany realize there is God in Israel.
Our representative and the senator for
this district we suppose have their
ears to the ground and viii act &C
eordingly.
Sterling Journal: Things are really
looking favora bic for the now oil re-
dnery law down at Topeka. but you
never can tell what will happen in
legislation until it is all over. There
IS certainly a strong sentiment for
such an institution from nearly all