Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-04-06

"
pany, MIR. kellogg said. that II. II
Rogers came into the Standard
This original trust agreement was
never made public in the many Stan
dard OH investigations throughout this
country. until the eXigencies Of this
case forced Mr. Rockefeller to pro-
duce it in justification OF that agree
ment." said MIR. Kellogg. with empha
sis.
Mr.. Kellogg laid much stress upon
the standards acquisition OF the
Security Oil Company. OF Texas. with
its refinery, through another London
concern. and especially did he con
lemn the big defendants secret
ownership OF a majority stock In the
Waters-Pierce Oil Company, OF Mis-
souri,
Standards Enormous Profits.
Mr.. Kellogg told of the wonderful
profits OF the Standard Oil Company
For the ten years ending with 1906,
the concern had earned, he asserted,
the comfortable sum Of $5SS,226, 525,
upon a capitalization of $97 100000.
The Standard trust and the Standard
Oil Company had paid dividends of
$54S, 436,446 between 1882 and 1905.
And yet" exclaimed Mr.. Kellogg.
Mr. Rockefeller. while on the witness
stand talked OF the hazard OF busi-
ness.
The only place where oil is cheap
is where independents sell it, OBJ
served Mr.. Kellogg, and If this court
gives the Standard Oil Company carte
blanche to do as it pleases. there
viii, not be an independent company
in this country
System Of Unfair Competition.
In the governments brief. the his
tory of the company from its incep-
ton to the present time is reviewed
and the declaration Is made that the
testimony shows mat the various de-
PENDANTS have from the first pursued
a system CT unfair competition against
their competitors. whereby the indie
pendent companies selling and mar
keting petroleum have either been
driven out of business, Or their bust
ness so restricted that the Standard
il Company has practically controlled
the prices and monopolized the COM
merce in the products of petroleum
in the United States.
The Trusts Various Methods.
This system. 1t 10 contended. has
taken the form of price cutting In
various localities while keeping up
high prices. or raising them still
higher, in other localities. where no
competition exists: CT rebates to Gus
TONERS as part of the system of cut
ting: Of obtaining secret information
as to competitive business. largely
through bribing railway employees, and
using their secret information TO pro-
cure the countermanding Of orders OF
Independent producers. and to facili-
tate the price cutting policy; of the
use of so-called independent compa-
mics. that is companies held by the
Standard Oil Company as Independent,
which are engaged in price cutting,
while the Standard Oil Company
maintains the price through its well
known companies, and other abusive
competitive methods against the COM
petitors.
Points Of Advantage.
The Standard OIL Company. the
brief alleges. is particularly able to
carry on this predatory competition
for the reasons that it does not sell
its product at central markets or
through ordinary channels. as most
other ordinary manufacturers. It
markets its products 10 the retailer
in every village and community in
the United States and it sells directly
to The consumers
The brief asks the court to annuI
the contracts under which the Stan
dard Oil Company operates and to
dissolve the corporation.