The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-29
OHIO NOW AFTER STANDARDOIL
CUSTER SUITS ARE BROUGHT
AGAINST IS CORPORATIONS.
Railway. Pipe Line, OIL. Gas and Allied Con-
oerns Alleged to he Controlled ny the
Trust In Restraint OF Trade-A sum-
mons Issued for John u. Rockefeller.

TOLEDO. Ohio, April 2S.-Ouster proceed
ings against eighteen of the largest corpora
tons in the United States were filed in the
Lucas county Circuit Court to-day by Prose-
cutting Attorney l.. w. Wachenhelmer.
The Ohio corporations which the court il
asked to dissolve are the standard OH Com
pany of Ohio. the Buckeye Pipe Line Com
pany, the Solar Refining Company, the Ohio
Oil Company, the Northwestern Ohio Nat
ural Gas Company. the Lake Shore Rail-
road Company, the Toledo and Ohio Central
Railroad Company, the Hooking Valley
Railroad Company and the Manhattan Oil
Company. The foreign corporations named
in the petition which the court is asked to
Dust from doing business in the State are:
Standard Oil Company Of Kentucky, In
diana, New York and New jersey; the Union
Tank Line Company, Pennsylvania; the
Indiana Pipe Line Company of Indiana,
the National Transit Company Of New
Jersey, the Pennsylvania Company of Penn
| sylvania, the South Pennsylvania Oil Com
pany OF Pennsylvania.
It is charged that the defendants for the
last five years have, in contravention OF the
laws Of Ohio. pooled their interests to form
a monopoly to control the sale OF oil and
gas, together with the byproducts, and by
so doing nave sold them at extoTtionete
prices. It Is charged that they have secret
contracts with the railroads fixing a grad
uated rate for transportation, which Keeps
other companies from transporting their
products.
II is charged that the combination has
purposely greatly reduced the production
Of oil and gas In order to increase the price
,,Ll haN-A VNatI tn TIM lNnTnWnaTZ WHARF
the supply OF oil and gas is found at least
80 per cent. less than its real value, and by
preventing competition and restricting
the transportation through railroads have
hecn able to advance the price to the con
sumner at least 100 per cent. above what it
should be,
A long list of questions are attached
to the petition for the president of each
company to answer. Those to the rail
roads seek to ascertain how much oil each
rond has used in the last five years, the
price Paid and whether any was purchased
| from any other corporation than the
Standard They are also asked to state
how much oil they transported in Ohio,
Kentucky and Indiana for the defendants
and what they received per ton. They
are also asked point blank whether they
have given the companies any rebates or
have any existing agreements for the came.
The questions for John D. Rockefeller to
! answer if service is made on him refer to the
| amount of stock the Standar holds in each
| company and to whom it is issued on paper.
He must also tell whether it is true that the
officers of the subsidiary companies are
also officers in the trust and if there are not
contracts in existence for the purpose OF
restricting trade securing rebates from
railroads.
All the other companies are asked to tell
their connection with the Standard and
with the various roads.
The Circuit Court meets here again May rs
- - ~ -. nN 10 ,Ntll L. 4. tI~ lN.
fall before the lawyers can get the trouble
under way.