The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-11-16


to Dissolve Standard and Its Con-
stituent Observation-Disclosures Meth
DDS Called Unlawful.
st. Louis, Nov. Stronger even
than the arraignments Of the Standard
Oil company by Ida NJ Tarbell and
President Roosevelt is the vigorous as
sault on the great trust made public
on the authority of Attorney General
Moody and the department Of justice
1t goes beyond the scope Of any pre-
yious attack on the great combination
which was built up and so long head
ed and directed by the master fnan-
cier, John D. Rockefeller
The occasion of making public a full
synopsis of the United States govern
ments case against the Standard was
the beginning Of the long awaited
fight on the trust which began here in
the federal circuit court of the east
ern district of Missouri.
Moody's Strong Attack.
Mr.. Moody and his associates do mot
miDce words in their condemnation,
which, although impersonal and busi-
nesslike in the extreme. is, from the
very charges contained, bitter and con
demnatory to the greatest possible de-
gree.
The purpose of the government ac-
ton is to obtain from the court an In
junction which viii efectually and for
ever dissolve the Standard OH Com
pany of New Jersey. John D. Rookie
feller, Henry H. Rogers, William
Rockefeller, John d. Arcnbold, Oliver
FL. Payne, Charles NJ. Pratt and seven
ty-one corporations and partnerships
are charged with the violation of sec
lions and of the Sherman anti
trust law.
Complete Monopoly Alleged.
1t is the often expressed intention of
the government to push this fight to a
speedy finish andsto ascertain once for
all whether the Standard can main
tain as alleged, complete monopoly
of the oil business of the United States.
1t is asserted that the method by
which the combination has practically
stamped out all competition is by OBJ
taining from the railroads enormous
rebates.
That the New York Central and near
ly every other great railroad in the
United States had secret rebate agree
ments with the Standard is asserted
ana backed up by a mass of evidence.
Deadly discrimination by the railroads
against all Independent oil producers
is, charged, and it is asserted that this
secret rebate system covered the entire
country.
That the trust has large interests in
and controls many great railroads, but
that it itself diseriminates between
these railroads, selling oil to some at
half the rate it does to others, is one
of the most startling allegations.
Half Billion In Dividends.
One assertion that is almost over
powering in its significance to the peo-
PIE in the United States is that with a
total valuation Of its property of $780,
100000 the Standard Oil company from
1882 to 1895 paid S512000,00O in divi-
dends ard besides created large sur
plus. No statements have been made
since 1896 it is averred.
The cutting of prices till competition
was driven out, the secret receipt from
railroads Of reports on the business of
competitors and the establishment of
bogus independent companies are
among the misdeeds laid at the door of
the Standard.
The matter of the liquidation of the
properties Of the Standard, which was
once ordered, was not undertaken in
the usual way, it is asserted by divid-
ing the proceeds of sale among the
certificate holders, but all the stocks
of each company were divided into
portions and bought up so that Rookie
feller and his associates after a pre-
tended dissolution continued to control
the corporations as before.
Charges Against Pipe Lines.
It is alleged that while the pipe lines
of the Standard are common carriers
they have. failed to perform their du-
ties and have Disseminated in favor Of
the trust
Mr.. Moody says that the railways
stopped discriminating in favor of the
trust when the public learned that
such discrimination existed.
The investigation into methods pur-
sued by the Standard Oil company be-
gan early in 1905, and tile results were
laid before congress- last May by Pres
ident Roosevelt, who accompanied the
report BY a special message denounc-
ing the apparent methods pursued. The
president asserted that suits would be
instituted in the United States courts
to abolish the combination, and the
fling of the present suit marks the ini-
tial step.
Oil Men to Appear In Court.
Cleveland, O. Nov. 1e Malcolm G.
Villas, treasurer; ]. NJ. Robertson. sec