The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-11-16
WAR AGAINST
STANDARD OIL
Attorney General Opens Battle
With Monopolists.
UNDERRO0SEVELT ORDER
Officials Believe That Conduetions
Warrant Immediate
Action.
UNDERROOSEvELT ORDER


ST. LOUIS. Nov. iG.-Aitorney Gen
eral Moody. acting through the resi-
dent United States district attorney.
Instituted proceedings against the
Standard OIL Company Of New Jersey
under the sherman antitrust net by
nllng Ia the United States circuit court
at ST. Louis petition In equity
against II and It's seventy constituent
corporations and partnerships and
seven individual defendants. asking
that the combination be declared un.
lawful and In the future cnJolned from
entering into any contract or comblna'
ton la restraint of trade. etc.
Frank ID. Kellogg OF 81. Paul, MINI,
special counsel for the government.
formally placed the petition with the
court.
II names John II. Rockefeller. VIII
liam Rockefeller. Henry n. Rogers,
Henry NJ. Flaglcr. John ID. Archbold,
oliver II. Payne and Charles NJ. Pratt
as Individual defendants.
! The following statement. prepared by
Attorney General Moody. explains the
action:
I'm June last. by direction Of the
president, Me-srs. Kellogg and Morrl-
son were appointed by me special ms
slstant attorneys general 10 act with
Assistant 10 the Attorney General Pur-
dy to make an investigation OF the re.
latlons Of the Standard OIL Company OF
New Jersey TO the business OF refining,
transporting, distributing and selling
oil throughout the United States. 20 as-
certain all the facts and report whether
or not In their opinion there has been q
violation OF the Sherman antitrust law
by the Standard OH Company of New
Jersey or the persons or corporations
associated with or managing Il. The
counsel have completed that duty, and
the report OF their investigation has
received careful consideration by the
president aud his cabinet.
THE information available 20 the de
partment tends to show that the vari'
Gus corporations and limited partner
ships under the control. In the manner
hereinafter stated. of the Standard oil
Company Of New Jersey produce, trans
port and sell about 30 per cent OF the
refined oil produced, transported and
sold In the United States for domestic
use and about the same proportion OF
refined oil exported from the United
States: that this share OF the business
has been procured by course of &C.
ton which, beginning IN 1870. has con.
tinued under the direction of the same
persons, In the main, down to the pres
ant time: that these persons now sur
viying are John ID. Rockefeller, VIII
liam Rockefeller, Henry ii. Rogers
Henry NJ. Flagler. John ID. Archbold
oliver IL. Payne aud Charles NJ. Pratt
that the design throughout OF the per
sons having control Of the enterprise
has been to suppress competition in the
production, transportation and sale OF
refined oil and to obtain, as far as pos
sible, monopoly therein.
"That between 1870 and 1882 the de
sign was effected through agreements
made between many persons and cor
porations engaged In this business; thai
IN 1882 the result aimed at was mad,
more certain by vestlng in nine trus
tees Including five of the above named
persons) sufficient stock In the thirty
nine corporations concerned to enable
the trustees to control their operation
in such way that competition be
. tween them was supposed.
/ THAT this plan was acted upon unit
II was declared unlawful by the su
preme court of Ohio in an actor
against the Standard Oil Company o.
Ohio one of said corporations, in 1892
that during the seven years 'followin,
the same individual defendants, as |
majority of the liquidating trustees
were pretending to liquidate the trust
but as matter of fact were managing
Ill of the corporations in the same wa.
md exercising the same control owe
them.
at is believed that. these facts, to
gether with others contained in the re
port of the special counsel, justlf
and require action by the Unlte
States in the courts"