Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-04-05

brief alleges, is particularly able to
carry on this predatory competition
for the reason that it does not sell dts
product at central markets or thru or
dinary channels, as most other ordin-
ary manufacturers. 1t markets its
products to the retailer in every viii
lage and community in the United
States, and it sells directly to the
consumers It does from 85 to 80 per
cent Of the business OF the United
States, leaving about 10 to IL per GENT
for all its competitors. It is also held
that the testimony taken in the
Standard Oil prosecutions shows that
that company thru a company in
which 1t owns majority of the stock
(the Galena Signal Oil Company also
controls about 971z per cent of the
fabrication Of railroads thruout the
United States, and that 1t sells to
most railroads at enormous profits
This is evidenced by the net earnings
of the company which in 1906 were
about 112 per cent on the capital
stock actually paid in and about 105
per cent on a liberal valuation of the
capital used. 1t is also shown by the
further fact that the prices to these
railroads are substantially double the
prices charged to a few favored lines,
notably the Pennsylvania For in
stance, the brief says, the New York
Central railroad for ten years has paid
than the Pennsylvania. It is also stated
that wherever the Standard can do so,
it has made contracts whereby it has
either marketed a part or all of the
product Of the Independent refineries.
or has limited the output Of the same.
One Of the evidences Of the monop-
oily Of the defendants, it is charged, Is
its enormous earnings. These earn
ings are summarized as follows: The
Standard Oil trust and the Standard
Oil Company on an investment of $685.
024,4SO had earned up to the end of
1906, sS36,7S3,7s3. Adding the estimated
profits Of 1907 and 1908, we have sub
stantially, the brief states, a billion
dollars earned by this company In
twenty-seven years with an original
investment of about s69,0oo,0oe.
Price Increased to Retailer.
Further on the brief says:
"It has usually been claimed for
large corporations in this country that
they have increased business and de-
creased the cost to the consumer, but
in the case Of the Standard OIL Com
pany it has during ten or fifteen years
actually increased the price to the re-
taller, and this good deal more than
the price Of other producers thruout
the country, altho the price Of its raw
material and cost of manufacture and
sale during these years has increased
very little, II any"
Thru agreements with other COM
panies and purchases, the Standard, 1T
is alleged, has at the present time con-
troll of about IS per cent Of the trans
portation of crude oil to the Atlantic
seaboard which, by reason Of the large
percentage Of oil exported, gives 1t a
tremendous advantage. Recognizing
the Importance to the Standard Of rail-
way transportation, its officials and
their associates during the last ten
years, it is said. have been directors in
many of the leading railroad systems
of the United States. For instance. the
Standard interests have In the Chicago
Milwaukee & st. Paul four directors;
Union and Southern Pacific and Santa
Fe two each; New York, New Haven
& Hartford, New York Central and
allied lines, Missouri Pacific, Boston &
Maine, Wisconsin Central, Rutland
railroad, and others, one each.