The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1906-03-09

CUSTER CASE AGAINST STAND
ARD OIL ENDED.
The mtricacies OF the Business Affairs
OF the Big Trust Too Much just
Now for kansas.

Topeka, March 3.-Kansas VIII drop
its custer proceedings against the
Standard Oil company which have
been pending In the supreme court for
a year. An announcement to this
effect was made by Attorney General
Coleman late this evening. He viii
move the dismissal Of the suit when
the supreme court cOnvenes for its
March sitting Monday morning
Attorney General Coleman makes
the announcement in prepared
statement which Is as follows:
The custer case against the Stand
ard was commenced last spring at the
request Of the Oil Producers assOcIa-
ton, made through its president, h
E West, and ex-Attorney General
MOnnett OF Ohio, with whom he was
then counseling- About October 1,
1905, the case was set down for hear
ing at the December session Of the
court A conference was held in my
Office in Topeka in October, at which
time It was determined that the in
terests Of the oil producers would be
best served by dismissing the case. At
this conference were present Mr..
West, F. DumOnt Smith and ". S.
Fitzpatrick, attorneys for the oil pro-
ducerss and myself The entire mat
ter was canvassed and all those pres
ent fully cOncUrred in the conclusion
reached It was then arranged that
the case should be dismissed at the
March term OF the court, 1906, This
viii accordingly be done on Monday
morning"
Standard Had No License.
The custer suit against the Stand
ard was based on the allegation that
the company had no license from the
Kansas charter board to transact
business in the state. Under Kansas
laws a foreign corporation has no
rights in the state unless It has been
licensed by the charter board. When
Mr.. MOnnett came to Kansas a year
ago one Of his first discoveries was
that the Standard Oil company was
not licensed in the state. After a
conference with Attorney General
Coleman and leaders Of the anti
Standard movement, he prepared a
petition in custer, and the suit was
promptly filed in the supreme court
Service was obtained on the repre-
sentatfves of the Standard in Kansas
City. Kan, and the service was &C
cepted- That a blunder had been
made no representative OF the oil
producers anticipated until the Stand
ard filed its answer.
The answer was filed by the Stand
ard Oil company OF Indiana Careful
investigation disclosed the fact that
the Standard Oil company Of Indiana
had been licensed to do business in
Kansas. for a number OF years. It
was also discovered that the Standard
Oil company Of Indiana is simply a
branch OF the oil trust, and that its
It was not the Standard Of Indiana
but the parent, the Standard Oil COM
pany OF New Jersey. The Standard Of
New Jersey does no business in Kan
sas directly. 1t works through an
other branch, the Prairie Oil and Gas
company, which is presumably con-
trOlled by the moving spirits in the
oil combine. The Prairie Oil and Gas
company buys crude oil and refnes it
The refined product is sold to the
Standard Oil company Of Indiana The
Standard Oil company OF Indiana dis
poses Of the refined product to the
consumer. Back Of both is the Stand
ard Oil company OF New Jersey, the
holding corporation, absorbing the
profits Of the Prairie Oil and Gas
company and the Standard Of Indi-
ana 1t was the Standard Of New
jersey against which the suit to be
dismissed Monday was aimed, but the
intricacy Of the oil monopoly scheme
Of incorporation and reincOTpOratiOn
was too much for the inexperienced
Kansas trust busters and they fell in
to the trap neatly set for them
But the adverse decision Of the su-
preme court regarding the validity Of
the state refinery law, and the failure
of the law declaring oil pipe lines to
be common carriers have taken the
heart out Of the oil producers They
are unwilling now to meet the ex-
pense Of prosecuting the suit against
the Standard The officers OF the Oil
Producers association viii not pay
the expenses out Of their own pockets,
and they so notified Attorney General
Coleman. In vefw Of these conditions
the conclusion to dismiss the custer