Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1905-03-02
PERIOD OF INACTIVITY WILL
CRUSH OUT MANY OIL
COMPANIES.
.DUPLIcIrY AND DECEPTION
MARK THE RECORD OF STAND
ARD OIL IN THE KAN.
sAs FIELD.

ton of paralysis exists in the Kansas
oil fields as result of the Standard
Oil companys refusal to buy oil from
producers even at the present low
prices of GO cents barrel. With a
capacity of 10000 barrels a day, the
producers have no market and ruin is
confronting them.
cover production" is the cry Of the
trust.
"Too many spectators, too many
wells, too rapid development for the
market to take the output is the way
John OBrien, manager of the Prairie
Oil and Gas company, one of the ten
tacles of the trust. puts it. He points
to the trust storage tanks, holding al
most 100000 barrels of crude oil,
and to independent tanks holding
capacity of the trust in the two re-
fneries in the district, one in Neo-
dosha, the other in Kansas City, is
only 10000 barrels a day. But at
Whiting, Ind, to which the pipe lines
is almost completed, there is a REIN
ing capacity big enough to take care
of the whole field. If the state refinery
bill is indorsed NY the supreme court
an Independent refinery with a capital
ofo 100000 will be put in operation
here
Crisis Is Serious.
In the meantime 10000 men are idle.
1t will be six months before the state
refinery can built, not to speak of
delays in the friendly litigation to test
the constitutionality of the measure.
During this period of inactivity inter-
est and expenses will crush many oil
companies.
The brilliantly illuminated mush-
room cities which have sprung up are
beginning to feel the effect Of the
Standards blow.
The halt in labor activity has
brought halt in the circulation Of
money. Before the states plans for
rescue are perfected, the people fear,
the oil business will be in condition
Of collapse. H. e. West and J. H.
Crawford Of the Gil Producers asso-
citation give this outline Of the Stand
ards methods:
Arrangement Is Bitter.
"The whole record of the Standard
Oil company in Kansas has been a
record of broken promises, of treach-
cry to every interest which is making
for the material prosperity Of the
state, of duplicity, deception and
wrong. There is not a single instance
where they have kept faith with any
body.
ut is a record from start to finish
oof oppression, of favoritism, of dis.
elimination and of lawbreaking."
Compel Trusts to Be Decent.
Topeka, Kan, Feb. 26-"I do not
know what plans the Standard Oil
trust made at it's meeting yesterday,
but can rely that Kansas is going to
stand on its rights as a sovereign
state, protect its people and compel
trusts to be decent" said Gov. Hoch
yesterday.
The trust hunting fever has abated
in the legislature and the members
are busy fighting over patronage and
Senator Smiths resolution to investi-
gate all trusts has not been acted
upon, and when it is, will be killed.
Standards Hands Idle.
New York, Feb. 26.-It was learned
yesterday that at Thursdays meeting
of the Standard Oil company the ques-
ton bearing on the investigation of
the methods of the corporation was
discussed and it was agreed to allow
it to take it's course. The matter is
now in the hands Of the companys
counsel, who, contrary to reports, is
conducting no campaign against the
investigation movement.