The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1909-11-26
ing. buying. refining, transporting and

ing. buying. refining, transporting and
selling petroleum and its products and
they were conducting about 80 per
cent. of the production Of the crude
oil and more than IS per cent. Of the
business OF purchasing. refining, trans
porting and selling petroleum and its
products in this country. Many Of
them were engaged in commerce in
states and with foreign nations, and
were naturally competitive.
Competitors Disappeared.
During the 10 years prior to 1879
the seven individual defendants had
acquired control Of many corporations.
partnerships and refneries that had
been competing in this business, had
placed the majority of the stock Of
those corporations and the interests In
property and business thus obtained in
various trustees to be held and Oper-
ated by them for the stockholders Of
the Standard Oil Company. OF Ohio,
one of the l9 companies in which the
individual defendants were principal
stockholders, and had thereby sup
pressed competition among these cor
porations and partnerships.
I'm 1879 they and their associates
caused all the trustees to convey their
interests in the stock property and
business Of all these corporations to
five trustees to be held, operated and
distributed by them for the stOckhOld-
ers of the Standard Company OF Ohio.
From 1879 until 1892 they prevented
these corporations and others engaged
in this business, where they secured
control, from competing in this COM
merce by causing the control Of their
operations, and generally of majority
Of their stocks, to be held in trust for
the stockholders Of the Standard COM
pany, of Ohio, and from 1892 until 1899
they accomplished the same result by
a similar stockholding device and by
the joint equitable ownership Of the
majority of the stocks Of the corpora
tiOnS.
All Merged In 1899.
I'm the year 1899 the seven individ-
ual defendants and their associates
caused the majority Of the stock OF
the 19 corporations to be transferred
to the Standard Oil Company Of New
that the latter company thereby ac-
quired the legal title to majority Of
the stock of each Of the 19 companies,
the control of these companies and Of
all the companies which they con-
trolled and the power to fix the rates
of transportation, the purchase and
selling prices of petroleum and Its
products, which all these corporations
should pay and receive in the conduct
of their business in commerce among
the states and with foreign nations.
Since that exchange of stock the
seven individual defendants have been
and are stockholders and officers Of
the Standard Company Of New Jersey,
which has exercised and is still using
that power, and by its use it has pre-
vented and is still preventing cOmpeti-
tion in commerce among the states
and with foreign nations among these
corporations.
Branded "Conspiracy."
Held, the transaction constituted
a combination and conspiracy In re-
straint of and to mOnopOlZe commerce
among the states and with foreign ma
tions In violation of sections l an0
OF the antitrust act Of July 2, 1890,
and the government is entitled to an
injunction against the further cOntinu-
ance and operation thereof"
The decree enjOins the seven indi
vidual defendants, the Standard Oil
Company and its subsidiary corpora
tionS, from continuing or carrying in
TO effect the illegal combination they
have formed and from entering into
any like combination or conspiracy
the effect Of which will be to restrain
interstate commerce III petroleum or
its products. or to prolOng the unaw-
full monopoly Of such commerce OBJ
tanned by the defendants as stated in
the decree, and they are forbidden
from engaging or continuing in inter
state commerce until they discontinue
their illegal combination. The decree
takes effect 80 days from the date of
its filing unless suspended by an ap
peal to the supreme court