Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1907-08-15
WASH|NGTONLETTER
HERALD SPECIAL Correspond.
ENT WRITES ON TRUSTS.
John D. ROeke teller Does Not Propose
to PAY the Pine imposed by Judge
Lands. of Chicago. will the Re-
publican Leaders Still Protect the
Standard OIL Co.?

After the spectacular fleet OF fning
the Standard Oil Trust nearly thirty
millions OF dollars has subsided, it may
be we'll to investigate what advantage
the public will gain even if the trust
eventually has to pay the full amount.
John d. Rockefeller is reported to have
said that: "Judge lands will be dead a
long while before this fine is paid. In
fact, many things will happen before
that" But, suppose the chief trust
magnate is not good prophet, and in
the course Of year the circuit aud gu.
preme court decide that the enormous
fine is legal and must be paid. Where
will the money come from but from the
profits on oil, and is it not quite probable
that cent or two more gallon will be
charged the public, SO that the trusts
stockholders can still be paid their 40
per cent. dividend.
The object of trust busting is to repro.
dnce competition which the trusts have
nearly eliminated. Competition brings
down the price OF products to a natural
level according to supply and demand,
while trusts through monopoly create an
artificial price. Filming trusts for receiv.
| ing rebates, as in the Standard Oil cases
will not reduce prices. but if our trust
busting republican friends really mean
business they can, when congress meets.
very quickly produce competition in all
trust products by abolishing the tariff
duty which protects them. The republi
can leaders have been constantly point
ing out to those not conversant with the
tariff law that all petroleum products are
on the free list. That is true. But at
the same time they know, or should
know, that there is a reciprocity joker IN
the tariff pack, which they all voted for,
which effectually protecs the Standard
On trust from competition from abroad.
This proviso, which is part Of paragraph
G26, which places "petroleum, crude or
refined" on the free list, also stipulates
that on petroleum. or its products. "pro-
duced in any foreign country" there
shall be collected, when such goods are
imported a duty equal to the duty i'm.
posed by such country. AS Russia and
other important oil-producing countries
i levy duties on Kerosene averaging about
ard Oil company is one OF our most high.
ly protected trusts. The custom officials
hold that the rate OF duty to be assessed
are not those levied by the country from
which the refined products may be i'm
ported, but those levied by the country
which produces the petroleum from
which the imported products were made.
That the Trust is enormously protected
by this tariff provision is evident from
the difference in price as quoted in the
New York Journal of Commerce, August
5th, the export price in bulk being 5
cents gallon, while the local price for
tank wagon delivery was 10 cents gallon.
So under this benefcent republican tariff
the foreigner is buying his kerosene at
bargain prices, or about half what our
trust-ridden people are forced to pay
through the collusion of the republican
leaders and the trust monopolists.
About every prominent democrat from
the South that drops into Washington
these days is anxious to see Southern
man named by the democrats for presi-
dent, provided the delegates to the Ma.
tional Convention from the close and
doubtful states are satisfied that such a
candidate would best unite the party.