The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-08-12
THE STANDARDS FINE.

laid on the levying of fine of &29..
240. 900 against the Standard Oil |
company OF Indiana by Judge Lands
OF the United States circuit court OF
Chicago AS matter OF concrete
fact the real issue against the
Standard oil company was not in
volyed In this case. The Standard
cares little about the levying Of this
fine, because 1t probably will be years
before II can be collected, even Il
1t be collected at all
The Standard Oil company OF Indi-
ana is a subsidiary corporation of
the Standard Oil company of New
Jersey, the parent corporation. The
Indiana concern has a capitalization
of 81 900 0OOand available assets of
sl0,000,000 The government probably
will have serious time In collecting
the fine assessed by Judge lands,
notwithstanding the fact that, under
the law. 1t may be just. The case.
OF course. will be appealed and, in
the nature OF things judicial 1t will
be a long time before a final settle
ment OF 1t IL reached. In the end
even II the Standard shall have to
pay the fine assessed by Judge Ian.
dis. the effect will be little or moth
ing, as II will not induce a dissolu.
tion OF the company or put it into
bankruptcy.
In st. Louis however a case against
I the parent Standard company is pend
( ing which menaces the very existence
OF the gigantic concern. II is a pro.
/ ceeding brought by the government
under the Sherman antitrust act, to
dissolve the oil trust and II the gov.
ernment succeed in its contentious,
the company will be placed In n most
serious predicament. Naturally, the
company will contest the case vigor'
ously, but the consensus of opinion Is
that the government eventually VIII
win This is the case which has
caused genuine alarm among the
Standard oil officials, for II the gov
ernment should succeed, the Stand
ard Oil company will be forced to re
linquish its monopoly on the oil In
dustry of the country.
Government officials who hav,
studied the situation regard Judge
Lands action in ordering proceed
ings to be brought against the Chi
cago Il Alton railroad people. In con
nection with the rebates granted b,
that road to the Standard OIL com
pany OF Indiana. as even more serious
than the assessing OF the s29.240,00'
fine against the Standard. Under thu
, law, the road granting the rebates 4
equally guilty with the concern tina
: accepts them. Substantially the SAM
evidence on which the Standard wa
I convicted will be used against tn
Chicago a. Alton and the result az
. pears to be foregone. A question
4 that is just now assuming deep III
0 terest is whether Edward II. iiarr
4 man, whose manipulations of tn
y stock OF the Chicago a Alton ha
{. been shown by the Interstate Con
p merce Commission, will be drawn IL
S TO the case to be instituted agains
4 the Chicago a. Alton. All of the ev
$ dence in the case adduced by tn
$ government through the bureau @
a corporations and the Interstate Con
: merce Commission will be used b
!. the department of justice, in add
tion to the disclosed by the trial O
l. the Standard Indeed, 1t Is know
II that Attorney General Bonaparte
u spending IA part of his summer vaca
/ ton in reviewing the evidence take
+ by the Interstate Commerce Con
5, mission on the Chicago a. Alton dea
Pc What conclusions the attorney ger
% eral may reach will not be disclose
$ until some time In the autumn, afte
+ ne has had opportun " to thorough
4 ly discuss the questions with Pres
n dent Roosevelt. IL Is reasonably Gel
r tain, however, that the Standard Oi
r company and the railroads guilty q
8 giving rebates have strenuous II
ture in store for them.
-o$o-