The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1905-03-03
KANSAS FIGHTING OIL TausI
Whole State Aroused In Effort 20 Shake
OF NoHopoIy's Grip.

OF IoHopoIy's Grip.
Kansas has set ont a. fight the conn
try's most powerful tFast Standard Oh
Under the leadership Of a determined
Governor, IL Is demanding of the f.egis
lature that appropriations he made III
aid of the plan by which the Rockefeller
interests are 10 be made to feel that they
are not all powerful. Should Kansas be
successful. similar results might follow
in other States. Ever a leader In pub
lie polieies-and sometimes IN public lob
lies the latest venture Of the hansns
statesmen will hc watched everywhere
with interest Throughout this State II
has aroused much enthusiasm.
The Moses of this crusade Is Gov. r.
A. Hoch. n country editor with Ideals
who was elected to the gevernorship 10
November. lie began the fight between
the State of Kansas and the Standard
OH Company when he advised In n mes
sage to the Legislature Immediately al
ter his Inauguration that state refinery
be established. lie declared that the
trust was getting an evil grill upon the
State and that il was not dealing fhifiy
with the producers of oil. Newspapers
have charged that bribery ON a large
scale has been attempted and commit
tee was appointed to investigate. where.
upon there was wholesale exodus oil
lobbyists from Topeka.
Acting upon the Governors advice,
bill establishing State oil refinery AT
cost of 100000 has been introduced
in the Legislature. Other measures aim
ed at the Standard OH Company are a
bill to make pipe lines common carriers
and compelling them to deliver the pro-
duet of any producer to any consignee
who may have a place of business near
the line; a bill fixing Il maximum freight
rate of ) cents n 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-
peeially designed to prevent the Standard
from selling oil cheap in one part of the
State and increasing its price in locali-
ties where it has absolute control of the
situation.
The trust instituted boycott. II de-
clared that because of unfriendly legisla-
tiuH II Ntulu ~ hibi'
oil. The effect of this is to close the oil
industry of the State. throwing ont OF
work about 1000 men. THE closing of
the plants and shutting down of the pipe
lines" says a Standard Oil magn-te-
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 retin-
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-
ducer