The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-09-24
Standard Oil Company Modifies
Its Contention.
states Questions Are in the
Main Satisfactory.
JACKSON RECEDES.
Grants Some of the Amend
ments Asked For.
Supreme Court Takes Rest
Under Advisement.

Attorneys representing the various
branches of the Standard Oil company
came before the supreme court Mon
day afternoon, and notified the court,
that, with a few objections to special
questions, they would not oppose the
granting of an order of the court re-
qulrIng their companies to answer all
the interrogatorfes propounded by
the attorney general in the custer suit
against the Standard
It was also announced that the
questions to which objections were
made in the two principal cases had
been met by the acceptance of certain
amendments by the attorney general.
The Prairie Oil & Gas company,
which IS the name of the Kansas end
of the Standard, was unable to reach
a compromise on its objections. j. D.
Mcfarland, on behalf of the Prairie
Oil & Gas company, objected to the
following questions.
The relation of the officers of the
company TO subsidiary corporations
of the Standard, unless those sub
sidiary corporations be specifically
named
The introduction of papers and
books unless the exact documents
wanted be specified
Prairie on & Gas company permits its
pipe line to be used for the transpor-
tation of any oil but its own.
The question as to whether the Prai-
rie receives oiI-frorH' other owners for
transportation through its pipe lines.
The question as to whether the
Prairie has ever fixed any rates or
published any tariffs for the trans
portation of oil through its pipe lines
Mr.. Mcfarland objected to the last
three questions on the ground that 1t
was an effort to get information con-
cerufng the operation Of the law max
ing pipe lines common carriers, en-
acted at the 1905 session of the 1egiS-
lature. He held that such matters
were not germaue to the custer suit
Attorney General Jackson contended
that the question as to whether the
Prairie was violating the common car
rier law was important as showing the
existence of a monopoly in the Kansas
oil hnsfne voluntarily wtrhdE@w
the last question relating to rates fer
the transportation of OIL
The court then took under adviSement
the allowance or rejection of the Ques-
tfons to which AFFECTION was made
Earl Evans of Wichita, J. B. F. Gates
and W. s Fitzpatrick were the other
attorneys for the Standard present
The state was represented by Attorney
General Jackson, Assistant John DaT-
son and c. c. Coleman. special assistant
in the antitrust litigation
Before taking up the Standard OIL
-
arguments in regard to the Internation-
al Harvester company interrogatorfes-
The International is fighting the whole
and will answer none of
the interrogatories unless compelled to
do so by the court.
The Harvester company was repre-
sented by w. z. Stanley. ex-governor Of
Kansas. and Edgar A Bancroft, of Chi
cago. head counsel for the InternatfOu-
al Mr.. Stanley contended in his argu-
meut that the interrogatory law is in
valid because it does not give full pro-
lection to the corporation answering
the questions. He claimed that the cor
poratfon should have the same protec-
ton that is given to a person in the
discovery of evidence by the interroga-
tory method
E. A Bancroft then argued that the
aw, even If valid should not apply to
he pending suits, because the suit was
brought six months before the law was
enacted He hefd that the law could
lot be retroactive
Attorney General Jackson and Mr..
Coleman then spoke in rebuttaI and
he court took the matter under advise
NEXT A 100 page brief was fled III be-
half Of the Harvester company