The Washington times., 1906-09-08
STANDARD OIL
COMPANY FINES
MUST BE PAID
Officials Determined to
Secure $125, 100000
Penalties.

II anybody comes along Offering YOU
a soft snap for Investment in Standard
oil bonds, OF II perchance you are ten
dered chance TO get in on the ground
floor Of a fine melon-cutting IN new
Standard OH stock-dOn't.
Just don't
That's the advice Of people who know
something about the plans Of the Gov
eminent Tor collecting a very. very big
fine from the oil octopus, and who sus-
pect that the people now owning the
concern may try TO unload Il before the
fine s. imposed, SO that somebody else
will have to stand the loss.
Earnest. anxious effort has failed 10 .
locate a single person IN the Govern
ment service. in departments that viii
have 10 do with prosecutions under re-
cent Standard on indictments. who has
anything but brass IN his heart and
steel IN his nerves when Il comes %
Standard. The milk Of human kindness
is sour. Sympathy IS unknown. There
IS absolute unauimity throughout the
Department Of Justice and the Depart
ment OF Commerce and Labor, and in
executive quarters. IN the ambition 10
soak" the OIL 0utht as no institution
ever was Soaked" before.
Fines May Aggregate SIz5, 900, 900.
There IS nothing fantastic about the
stories that the oil company may be
mulcted for S125. 10000 IN 1nes under
the recent Chicago indictments. Federal
judges have been giving the rebate Civ
ers and takers the limit Of late. The
man who viii give the Standard the
limit Will be famous. He VIII have the
plaudits Of the country. And he VIII
not be inficting an undue penalty,
either. according 20 the view Of the
Government officials who must handle
the case.
For, they point out, the Standard Is
capitalized AT 10000 900. and its stock
IS worth above 500 a share: total, over
100000 To pay Sl25. o9o.aG9 fine would
not pull its stock value down % within
Eunshot Of par. The minimum OF fines
viii be about $4,000 50 If the com
pany IS convicted at all-aud nobody
who knows the evidence doubts Il viii
belt VIII have this tidy sum TO con
tribute 10 Government expenses. But
S6,0J00 600 wouldn't worry the Standard: it
would De per cent assessment
against the property: deduCung & from
years earnings would not be noticed.
The limit is the only thing that will
make ia the view CT the prosecutors.
due impression.
Judge Lands Goes the Limit.
Now as TO the chances Of the limit.
or something Ike Il, being imposed, this
case, IL IS explained, viii be tried before
either Judge Bethea or Judge lands. in
Chicago. Both Of their are regarded as
rather good" from the standpoint OF
The Governments ambition 10 make a
huge killing. Judge lands especially,
81 81 fnffTT1g Ea raj v-fTs
on the fine ana make Il spectacular.
He is a brother Of the two Indiana
Congressman OF that name. there is
another OF the same family who is in
a good Office, and sensational rumOrs re-
Gently reached Washington mat a fifth
brother Is doctor IN Cincinnati, who
never held Office II IS not yet con-
hrmed. but anyhow it's another story.
The point is that. as pointed out by
the people following these prosecutions,
trust busting. Judge Lands has some
thing OF a record. and the Congressional
pair are long on this form OF exercise.
Question Regarded as Serious.
The possibility Of paying this immense
fine is so serious, II is said. that Stand
ard oil people are considering how 10
shift It TO other people. Their move
ments are being observed closely because
OF the impression that they viii try 10
unload. There are IN fact more reasons
FOR doing this than the prospect OF a
heavy fine. Standard on, It is con
hdently believed, has seen its best days
il viii never again earn the fabulous
dividends that have been declared IA its
best years II did not earn those; Il
held up the railroads and competitors
and producers OF crude OIL for them. Ii
controlled the buying, the selling. the
transportation cf oil; IL made It's own
prices on all three operations; and by
doing SO il made earnings that would
have turned Croesus green. But it will
not do those things IN future.
1t viii continue a very rich and pow
erful corporation, but its wings have
been clipped; they VIII be clipped yet
shorter. Il will not enjoy the same alb
sOlute dominance II viii not bulI-dOze
every railroad 10 violate the law and
rob its shareholders by giving rebates
covering most OF the scheduled rate on
oil. And these privileges being shorn,
there viii be less for shareholders. divi-
bends VIII be less and the stock Will
d a q 81 Fr