The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-03-01
HISTORY OF KANSAS OIL FIGHT.
Crusade Is Being Led by Governor
Hoch In True Pingree Style.

WASHINGTON, March Here is
the story of Kansas oil and the
Standard Oil companys order of Feb.
II to boycott it, which prompted Pres
ident Roosevelt to issue an order to the
investigation that may lead to GRIM
inal prosecutions of Standard Oil men
of millions.
The Kansas oil belt comprises five
counties-Neosho, Wilson, Montgom-
cry, Chautauqua and Allen. Oil was
first struck in large quantities about
two years ago. The belt developed
wonderfully we'll. Last year it pro-
duced 100000 barrels. Today there
are $500 producing wells in the belt.
The yield of the $500 is 10000 barrels
daily.
Last November Kansas elected a re-
publican governor of the Pingree
school of politics. He is Edward w.
Hoch-(Kaisas pronounce it Hoke)-a
country editor. A millionaire railroad
contractor who began life carrying
drinking water for railroad construc-
ton gang was Hoch's hacker. Stubs,
plain Stubs, is this contractors name.
While a state senator Stubs refused
to be a mere tool of the republican
statehouse ring, SO the ring controlled
that Stubs introduced. Stubs didn't
scold He laid low" until the legis-
lature adjourned. Then he started a
crusade against the state house gang
1t was an appeal to the plain people,
The plain people responded nobly
Stubs put Hoch forward for COVER
nor. So badly was the statehouse
gang. scared that Governor Bailey,
their man, withdrew as a candidate
for denomination.
Governor Hoc1, Stubs backing
him, urged the legislature, when it
convened in January, to enact legisla-
ton to relieve the Kansas oil belt from
the exactions of the oil trust. Two
bills were accordingly introduced
One fixes railroad rates for crude oil,
naming maximum charge. The sec
ond was for an appropriation of s4,-
600. 900 to build a state refinery of 1000
barrels daily capacity. Standard Oh
lobbyists fought both bills in their ac-
customed guerrilla style. But they
lost. Both bills passed the legislature.
Directly the Standard Oil company
issued it's boycott order. Specifically
it declares that, so long as these two
laws remained on the Kansas statute
books, the Standard will not buy or
handle a single barrel Of Kansas oil.
OF course, there was CONSERVATION IN
| the oil fields right away. The indie
pendent companies could take but
| very small percentage of the daily
! yield of 10000 barrels. The producers
/ -
enough to store it. The loss of mil
lions and millions of dollars confronted
them as long as the boycott stood.
The representative in whose district
four of the five oil counties lie, Phil
lip Campbell, himself was mucn con-
cerned. The state authorities were
helpless. He saw no relief but at the
White House. Representative Camp
bell is a Novo Scotian by birth, who
grew up OH farm on the Kansas prai-
rie.s a first-termer from farmer dem
ocratic district, and about 40. How
| fully the president took in the s1tua :
| ton when he had listened to Mr.
Campbelrs recital as here told, Is seen
in the promptness with which he de-
creed that the whole power of the FED
eral government shall be used to dis
cipline the Standard Oil company.