The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1907-05-23

New York some months ago wa
making fight TO reduce the price O
gas and to regulate its street rail-
roads lt was my lot to be asked d
make study Of the organization Of
the Consolidated Gas company AMI
the Metropolitan Traction company
To assist NE had two Of the ables
corporation lawyers In the metropolis
What did We discover? Just this
That the skill, the intelligence, ths
cunning OF Elihu Root, now score
tary OF state, had so involved tn,
ownership OF these corporations thai
no one could unrasel the tangie.
There were ninety-nine year leases,
sales, holding companies, resales,
stock pledged, bonds issued, every
device known to the shrewd and un.
scrupulous corporation lawyer, OF
whom Mr.. Root Is the highest type,
employed to 70 involve the situation
that no citizen could ever he able to
understand IL.
| have now In my possession four
or five books representing the en-.
deavor Of skilled corporation experts
to explain, not to undo, Mr.. Root q
work, and yet the author OF each
said to me that he had fallen short
OF coping with this Machiavelli Of
stock jugglery. @f
Mr.. Root has brought a measure of
peace to the business world by en-.
abling the big fellow frst tOaunnh
and then to swallow IL
as does the boa constr
He Is the chief adviser d
who talks about the Coz
the rich for bis undoing,
disbelieves In any reduction 81 arma-
ments lest the wicked natives OF
Uganda should arise and threaten
the civilization Of Europe. 1t is an
Interesting situation. Small wonder
that the peace conference looked to.
ward Washington with wonder and
amaze.
After hearing the evidence for six
weeks jury has declared the Stand
ard Oil company guilty OF rebating
on over l. 400 counts. This jury was
not prejudiced against the company.
Out Of over 800 counts, 1t declared
that the trust was not guilty In over
400 OF them. The jury was fair. far
fairer with the oil trust than the lat
ter had ever been with the people,
from whom this jury was drawn.
The company was indicted for &C.
ceptinR concessions In storage charge,
reductions In rates, and receiving
other advantages OF railroad discrim-
ination. The amounts alleged to
have been given the company aggre-
gated S273, 900 in eighteen months.
These rebates cover shipments he.
tween the company at its thousands
Of shipping points, to which the
sends oil. Yet during a
period OF eighteen months, when
the oil company must have heen on
Its guard because OF wide exposure
OF, and widespread protest against
Its iniquities, 1t is found guilty of
having accepted at not more than
live shipping points over a quarter of
a million Of dollars In rebates. Some
idea OF the tremendous amounts un-
lawfully made by the company at its
thousands OF shipping points, during
all those years before the present
publicity had been given its meth
DDS, can be partially inferred. Given
quarter OF million dollars OF nd.
vantage over competitors at five
points during eighteen months of
strict surveillance, is 1t remarkable
hat the Standard OIL company was
lble to crush out all competitors, and
build up colossal system, estimated
20 be worth into the billions?
The oil company is nov battling
to save as much OF the |
poll Of its TObber methods as IL can.
It has violated the law. That is
lear. 1t now will attempt to take
advantage Of certain time .honored
principles OF the law In order to
escape the penalties THAT should be |
imposed. Each offense OF the COM
,any carries with IL a fine OF not less
han 81 600 and not more than $50.
100. The courts charge left the jury |
discretion as to how many OF the |
cunts It might find the company to
V guilty In. The jury threw out AL |
cunts as defective and declared the
III trust guilty In 1852 counts. II
he maximum fines are imposed, they
viii, with the costs, aggregate near
y $50, 900, 600.
Tee oil trust attorneys have made
motion TO limit the number OF
ffenses, for which a fine can be i'm
'osed, to one. They are taking ad
antage OF the legal aversion to
penalties, and next week
hey will argue the question whether
be defendant can be fined In more
han one count The ruling upon