The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-22
CUSTER NOT effective.
Attorney General Would Control
Trusts and Keep Them in State.

Attorney General Jackson is Of the
opinion that the custer of the Stan
dard Oil company does not get the
desired results. He thinks that some
other method should be used to con-
troll the trusts operating in Kansas
will set good many people to think
ing.
Mr.. Jackson has offered q sugges-
ton of combining the Standard COM
pan1es and properties under one COM
pany to be incorporated in Kansas
parent body and with due regulation.
restriction and publicity of methods
by the state of Kansas.
Custer alone, he says, does not par
ticularly appeal to him as the solu-
ton of the problem of handling large
corporations. Mr.. Jackson believes
they should be looked upon as mono
poles to be regulated, rather than as
combinations to be ousted. Custer,
when executed by court decree, he
has pointed out, is not necessarily eff
fective against main evil for the
combinations will simply come back
in other forms.
Proposal to the Standard.
1t has been stated that Mr.. Jackson
has made definite proposition of
settlement to the Prairie Oil & Gas
company Of the Standard. He says,
however, that he has suggested that
perhaps some sort of an arrangement
could be made that would bring
about the end desired by the suit.
In his statement making the sug-
gestions and the explanation of the
same, Mr.. Jackson says:
This suggestion grows out of an
idea of mine that the Standard Oil
company and many of the other big
trusts should now be treated more as
monopolieS than combinations and
that an effort should be made in some
way to get complete and satisfac-
tory control of their operations. ]
got this idea from a somewhat close
study Of the custer proceedings which
have been brought against the Stand
ard Oil company and other trusts in
the several states. From these pro-
ceedings am forced to the conclusion
that the busters have not as yet
proved of very much benefit to the
consumers and the people of the state
where they have been prosecuted
These results arise from the fact thai
it is so easy for the monopolies tc
violate the custer orders They dc
this by bogus companies and the or
ganization of new companies and in
various other ways.
Control Better Than Custer.
"In Kansas we have the great pipe
line of the Prairie oil & Gas com
pany which of course the people OF
Kansas Will never want to see tori
up. Our suit must result in con
| trolling it In some@way so that it viii
tbe for the benefIt OF the people of the
state. At present the Standard
violates both the Interstate commerce
and state law making pipe lines com
mon carriers.
| Do Away With Holding Companies.
"Again, the judgment in our case
will be taken with reference to the
success of the governments suit. The
government seeks to enjoin such com
panies as the Prairie company from
being controlled by the Standard OF
New Jersey. If the government sue
ceeds our task will be comparatively
easy and as stated before, at the
present time, broadly speaking, il
would be compelling the Prairie com
pany and the other Standard com
panies now existing in Kansas (an6
which will be cut off and forced to
reorganize by the government suit) tc
| transact business exactly as independ-
enl companies are compelled to tran
sact business now; that is, by one
company transacting the business in
the full light of publicity without
assistance of any holding companies
or other subterfuges to cover up the
real ownership of the business. and to
aid in preventing competition"