Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-13
Lawrence and the agricultural collee. at

Lawrence and the agricultural college at
Manhattan filled with students whose
expenses are paid by what mother brings
in her apron from the henyard. The poul-
try products of this country have amount
ell to more than the total output of all the
gold mines that have ever been discovered
since the world began. The henhouses OF
this country yield bigger dividends every
year than all the gold mines in the world.
In Kansas alone they yield enough to pay
all OF the state and city taxes and leave a
comfortable balance. The product last
year was % per cent more than was paid
to school teachers and superintendent. 1t
was more than three times as much as was
paid for school sites, buildings. furniture,
rentals. repairs. libraries, apparatus, fuel.
lights and incidentals. The poultry yards
came within II per cent of paying the en-
tire cost of education In Kansas last year.
Yes, It's a big story.
Prices were not high last year.. but the
surplus from the henyards. not including all
the eggs and chickens that were used at
home. within ger cent of the total
value of all the cows owned on the great
cattle ranges of Colorado. New Mexico and
Utah: more than the value OF all of the
cattle IN Oklahoma, with the swine of Col
orado. Montana. Nevada and Wyoming
added The sales of eggs and poultry in
Kansas last year were more than the value
of all the sheep in the six New England
states and New York included; nearly as
much as all the sheep in Texas, and Texas
much all OF the corn of New England,
with chat of Dakota. Montana and Wye
ming thrown in for good measure.
The hens of Kansas not only pay the
school bills of our boys and girls who go
of to college. but they Fay for our pianos
and organs, our carriages and bugg;es our
fancy china. our center tables, the Axm;n-
ster carpets on our parlor floor, our sec
tional bookcases and the books which fill
them, our magazines and daily newspapers.
How many Kansas farmers take daily
newspapers"
Every one of them. There is scarcely
farm house in Kansas that does not receive
a daily newspaper since the rural delivery
made it possible to get them without cost
ing half days time to drive to the post
office. There is no better posted people In
the world than the farmers of Kansas. NO
people come so near doing their own think
ing. or act promptly on their own mo-
ton. They do not wait TO hear what New
York or Massachusetts or Ohio is going to
do, and they don't care
Fight With the Standard.
have not had time to investigate the oil
situation in Kansas but from what l have
been able to learn from few well-Dosted
people. the excitement, and one might also
say the interest, in that subject is now
confined to five or six counties in the
southeastern part OF the state. The wells
there owned chiefly by private individ-
q
to the Standard Oil Company In the usual
way formerly at extremely remunerative
prices-as high S1.3S per barrei-until
the field has been fully developed at the ex-
pense of the well owners. Then when its
managers became assured of their ability
to control the output, the andard on Com
pany began to cut down prices, even as
low as % cents per barrel, and was so ex-
acting in its terms and its treatment or
them generally that the situation became
unbearable.
Members of the legislature from the oil
section began an agitation in favor OF laws
that. would bring the Standard to terms.
and a bill was passed authorizing the state
to issue $iO0.0OO in bonds to erect re-
finery to be operated by the convicts of
penitentiary to be established at the town
of Peru. in Chautauqua county. This form
of law was necessary because the cOnStftu-
ton prohibits the state from engaging In
Industrial enterprises The state treasurer
however, will not issue the bonds until the
courts have passed upon the constitution
atty of the law. The courts have heard
arguments and everything is hung up until
their decision is rendered. If II decides tIIal
the erection of a refinery to be operated
by convicts Is violation of the state con-
stitution, of course that ends the matter.
If it decides that the bill is constitutional,
no one can tell what will happen.
Public sentiment is said to be rapidly
changing. The law was passed on an i'm
pulse in a period of great excitement, when
terical with indignation and no one stopped
to consider consequences. Now that the
excitement has cooled down, people are
beginning to realize that this expenditure
of Sio0.0O0 Is certain to be followed by
very much larger appropriations, and that
the only persons to be benefited are few
owners of oil wells that may play out In a
few months. or a few years At the most,
1t Is gamble. and when the state of KAN
sas goes into the business of refining Pc
troleum, ii is taking a good many more
risks than are wise and prudent. The well
owners who have capital and produce a
high-grade oil do not encourage the erec-
ton of a state refinery. 1t is advocated
only by the poor men, who have been de-
pendent upon their daily product, and those
who produce a low-grade oil which the
Standard company refuses to buy and for
which there is no other market.
am assured by those who are well post
ed that at least one-third of the oil-pro-
ducers land they are the owners of the
most profitable wells) are opposed to state
interference.
Pipe Line to Indiana.
1t is admitted that the Standard Oil
Company is conducting its business on
business principles, and that 1t is proceed
ing within it's rights: but the poor oper-
ator whose capital Is all invested in one
well and who is getting nothing out of 1t
cannot see 1t in that light The Standard
company Will not take any HluEe OH tfldIl
1t can handle. 1t is now building a pipe
line direct to Whiting, Ind, and when that
is completed 1t can handle more oil. 1t is
is also true that the Standard company
will not take any but high-grade oils: it
has no use for the low grades; and being
the only buyer in the market, 1t is able to
pick and choose and fix it's own prices. 1t
paid high prices to encourage development.
and when that was accomplished cut them
down. This leaves the producers of low
grade oils without a market, and they
blame the Standard Oil Company for their
predicament.
1t is difficult and IN some respects a
distressing situation, but the thinking men
of the state are becoming more and more
opposed to making 1T an official matter and
allowing the state government to be mixed
up in it, They argue that If the taxpay-
ers are to help out the producers of low
grade oil they may properly be expected
to help out everybody else who cannot find
a market for his wares.
Commissioner Garfield of the bureau of
corporations has been down here inquiring
into things, but you may be certain that
he will not make "A sensational report
PREMATURE EXPLOSION.
Ma,, T,,i,,roI Whilo Tacfinor a