New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-04-12
STANDARD OILS REPLY.
Makes General Denial of Attorney
Generals Charges.

The Standard Oil Company OF New Jersey
made public yesterday its answer and the
answer of its subsidiary companies to the petI-
ton filed by the Attorney General about two
months ago N the United States Circuit Court in
St Louis i'll the suit brought by the government
charging the Standard Oil Company and others
with violating the Antitrust law by monopoly
In restraint of trade in the state of Missouri
In its answer. covering sixty-six printed
pages the company enters general denial Of the
charges made in the Attorney Generals petit
ton. 1t also makes thrty-seven exceptions TO
tho numerous subdivisions Of the petition STAT
ing alleged acts of the company which 1t de-
clares to be 'impertinent"
The company denies that during the year 1899
or at any time thereafter. stated in the petit
ton, a conspiracy was entered into or main
tanned between the Standard Oil Company. the
individual defendants or the other corporation
defendants named in the petition for the pur-
pose or with the effect Of restraining commerce
in refined oil. crude petroleum any other
products of petroleum. or with the effect OF
monopolizing such commerce
1t also denies, among other things. that the
individual defendants, including John d. and
William Rockefeller Henry H. Rogers. Henry
NJ. Flagler. John d. Archbold and others OF the
Standard oil party. have operated through the
Standard oil Company holding corporation
from 1899 to the present time. that they now
own or have ever owned majority of the stock
of the company
1t admits that the company acquired the ma
jority of the stocks of various corporations en-
gagged in purchasing, transporting. refining.
shipping and selling oil throughout the United
States and with foreign nations, but denies that
II thereby managed and controlled the business
in violation of the law alleged In the petition.
or that it entered into conspiracy with any
persons or corporations to restrain trade or
commerce In these products.
DENIES PIPE LINE CONTROL
The answer states that the company does not
control the Tidewater Pipe Company the
Tidewater Oil Company in any way, or that it is
engaged in any combination or conspiracy with
the Florence Oil and Refining Company of Colo
RADIO through the contracts set forth in the petit
ton. The company admits acquiring shares of
stock in some of the subsidiary corporations.
but denies that it is party 10 any combination
or conspiracy with any Of them in any way.
The company in its answer says further that il
is not engaged through the instrumentality OF
subsidiary companies, in producing. purchasing
or transporting petroleum in the principal oil
producing districts in the United States. in
shipping selling il through pipe lines or in
tank TO the various states and territories,
although il says 1t is eLts0sively engaged in the
business Of reininE-on in New Jersey, Maryland
and West Virginia and selling the same in the
different states
The ausweT also denies that the company
the various pipe line companies named
in the petition excepting the Prairie oil and
Gas Company, the Manhattan oil Company and
the Security oil Company. and says that the
pipe lines of the companies named IN the petit
ton are not used principally for transporting
crude oil owned by the Standard oil Company.
or corporations controlled by 1t. and that the
lines of each pipe company are confined to
single state.
NO SECRET RATES. SAYS TRUST.
The company denies that It made any secret
rate with the railroads in transporting its
products. or that il had anything to do with
fixing the rates from the different points named
in the petition which. il says. were made BY
the railroads independently in the transaction
of their own business. II further denies that
the railroad companies Disseminated against
independent refners In favor Of the Standard
oil Company
In conclusion. the company denies any and
all manner OF unlawful combination. or re-
strant of trade, or monopoly in the oil business.
and humbly prays that the charges, WrOngfully
sustained. he dismissed.
Sixteen gas companies that were named In
the Attorney Generals petition also fled
answers. in which they deny having had any
interest al any time either directly or indI-
business. or any product % petroleum. Seven
Of these companies state in their answer that
neither the Standard Oil Company nor any OF
the other companies named I'm the petition owns
any of their stock. In the other nine tho ma
iority OF the stock is owned either by the
Standard Oil Company tho National Transit
Company, one Of its subsidiary companies.