The Washington herald., 1907-02-03
Twenty Years Of Monopoly.

For more than two decades the Stand
ard Oil Company has been under the fire
of public criticism and official investiga-
lion, It has been compelled 70 change the
form Of its organization, and it has modi-
FED in some instances it's methods of
doing business, but in no way has it
loosened its monopolistic grip on the pc
tr3leum industry, nor has it abandoned.
Unless very recently. the Illegal and IN
fair practices by which it achieved and
maintains its supremacy. Reviewing the
position Of the company over twenty years
ago, James 7. Hudson. writing in 1886
the History of q Commercial Crime, 20
thus describes the Standards sway over
the oil refining interests:
1T controlled works comprising % Der cent Of
the TufUing capacity Of The United States all the
DiDe lines within the oil regions. and about one
sixth # The producing tcrritcry. Il welded al alb
soufo and unchecked control over every department
Of the petroleum trade 10 could dictate every step
taken hy the railways. impose terms on any out
side dealer in crude OF refined petroleum. and if
there was ans disobedIencc. could administer Cf.
fectire discipline TO the rccusant. whether rail
way corporation merchant Outside redners
were forced 20 receive their crude eli by rail-
while the STANDARD Tehneries were supplied directly
by pipe lines. Il controlled the iobbug trade and
rendered IL almost impossible fer any outside re-
finer % sell his product even 90 domestic dealers
The rebates paid the Standard during the period
of its growth from ordinary corporation to
complete monopoly equal TO its entire increase
Of wealth for that time. u maintained an en-
rauization which watched the entire trade. and If
any wholesale dealer iobbsr undertook TO sell the
rroduct Of Independent redusrs, or TO sell for less
than its prescribed prices. he was cut of from
further supplies and eyer means that INSCRIPTIONS
wealth could employ vas used 20 iniure his cam-
merciaI sizzling
Every enc Of these assertions as to the
operations of the Standard Oil Company
is revived IN the report lately sent to
Congress by the Interstate Commerce
Commission. Now, as twenty years ago.
its policy is to maintain monopoly by the
systematic ruin Of its competitors not by
means of the ordinary methods of trade.
but by unfair and disreputable" cOmpeti-
tive practices-manipulati Of the mar
Eets, secret and discriminatory railway
rates, espionage upon shipments through
coliusiOn with railway employees. obstacles
placed in the way of building independ-
ent pipe lines. subornaticn Of the en-
plOyes of independent companies, and
brides to secure the use Of its products in
preference TO others. Though the con-
slant beneficiary Of all sorts OF favors
from the railroads. the Standard compels
them 10 buy oils from one Of its subsid-
larry concerns at double the price in the
open market Possession Of pipe lines en-
ables it to control the crude market, and
its domination of railway manager en-
ables it to prevent competitors from en-
joying equal rates. Its advantages, as the
commissions report SAYS. are largely arti-
fetal Its enormous revenues are not the
legitimate result of economies in admin
istration and production, but of monopoly
unscrupulously maintained and corruptly
extended.
That this great monopoly has run ca
reer OF over twenty years unchecked, that
1t has steadily grown in power and influ-
ence, financial. Industrial. and political, in
the face Of a constant public arraignment