The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-14
She HAS A Way.
Miss Ida NJ. Tarben Talks Of
Kansas Battle.
Has Little Confidence in State
Refinery.
BUILD A PIPE LINE.
Thinks This Is Real Solution Of
Problem.
Would Have 1t Run to Gulf or
SeabOard.
Here to Investigate the Oil
Situation.
BUILD A PIPE LINE.

1T seems to me that the solution CT
the problems that confront the Kan
sas oil producers is a pipe line to the
Gulf or to the Atlantic seaboard. The
state refinery proposition is a very in
teresting experiment, but I cannot see
how it Will permanently solve the pro-
blems of the producers and make them
independent of the Standard OIL COM
pany."
This is the opinion of Miss Ida NJ.
Tarbell, the .staff writer of McClure's
Magazine who arrived in Topeka last
evening to look up the history of the
oil industry in Kansas and the Indian
Territory, and the connection of the
Standard Oil company with it.
Miss Tarbell is regarded as one of the
foremost contemporary writer's of
America. Her Life of Lincoln ranks as
one of the greatest biographical works
of the century, and it was Miss Tar
BELLS history of the Standard Oil COM
pany which first inaugurated the pres
ent aggressive crusade against the oil
trust. These articles have been appear
ing in McClures during the past few
months, and it is to prepare an addi-
tfonal chapter in this history, giving
the story of the fight of Kansas against
the oil octopus that Miss Tarben is now
here.
''The great problem for Kansas oil
producers is to find a markell COM
petitive market-for their OIL contin-
ued Miss TarbeI. And that involves
the transportation problem. The ques-
ton is how to get to the worlds mar
kets as cheaply as possible, and to do
that the Kansas producers will have to
strike out and do something for them
selves. You have too much oil to mar
ket it all in the Mississippi valley, and
besides there is a great deal of compe-
tition here. Kansas should find mar
I lot fr, nd
can get your oil to the seaboard you
can dispose of it to two European con-
cerEs which are the competitors of the
STANDARD in the worlds markets. One
is an English concern and the other is
German. They have money with which
to compete with the Observation-Disclosures
they have not the organization the
Standard has-no other business con-
cern in the country has the organization
of the Standard. The only transpOrta-
ton outlet for Kansas oil at present is
over the railroads or through the Stand
ards pipe lines, and railroad rates are
prohibitive in competition with the
Standard. So it seems TO me that the
real solution of the transportation pro-
blem for the Kansas oil men is pipe
line of their own to the sea-"
you do not think, then, that the
state refinery will give the Kansas pro-
ducers relief from the Standard" Miss
TarbeH was asked.
Il do not see how it can" she replied.
''Of course, I do not yet thoroughly un-
derstand the situation in Kansas, but
suppose you build a state refinery to
utilize 1000 barrels a day of your crude
oil-your production is between $4,000
and 30, 900 barrels. Then it will take a
long while to build the refinery and get
it to running smoothly. In five years
the refinery will perhaps be on a pay
ing basis, but in the meantime the oil
producers will have q lot of trouble. It
will take an expert to superintend the
refinery and skilled labor to look after
its operation, which will take time-or
it would in other states. Kansas does
things with such rush that this may
not perhaps hold good in this instance
Miss Tarbell has been familiar with
the oil business all her life. She came
from the Pennsylvania oil regions,
where her father had an active part IN
the DEVELOPMENT of the industry and the
early fights against the Standard She
is thoroughly conVeTSant with the MIS-
tory of the industry and the methods Of
the Standard from the inside ana ner
opinions are therefore worthy of con-
siderable weight. For the past two
months she has been at the bedside "
her father whose death was noted in
the newspaper dispatches about ten
days ago.
Il really did not come to Kansas to
be interviewed by the newspapers,
Miss Tarbell said graciously when ask
ed about her work and what she pro-
posed to do in her investigation OF the
oil situation in Kansas I really came
to ask questions and to find out things
instead of answering questions The
circumstances of the past two months
have kept me from following the situ-
alton out here as closely as I otherwise
would have done. I am here solely for
McClure's Magazine, and to get at the
facts of the development Of the Kansas
oil industry and that of the Indian Ter
ritory particularly with its relation to
Transportation. I will get my informa-
ton mainly from a historical stand
point
Miss Tarbell has been with McCiure's
ever since the magazine was founded
and she is one of its associate editors
This is her first visit to Kansas and she
will spend some time here getting the
history of the oil legislation and the
history of the development of the oil
fields.
Il wanted to get here IN time 10 see
vour legislature at work" she said
sThe Kansas legislature seems to have
a way of its own in going al things and
getting them done.