Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-03-16
OIL
MENACE To
NATION
OIL TRUST ARRAlGNED
BEFORE SUPREME COURT
Government Attorney Digs Into
History of Giant Cooperation
TO Prove That 1t is Monopoly
in Violation of Law.


lBy Morning journal Special LEASED wIrel
Washington, March l5.-lioldine
up the Standard oil company of New
Jersey as danger to the country
and its organization as a commercial
precedent that must be eradicatcd
from the business world. Frank kel-
logg today arraigned the corporation
before the supreme court of the Unit
ed States
It was the governments turn to he
heard in the argument over the dis
solution Of the company as decreed by
the circuit court of the United States
for the eastern district of Missouri.
Except about twenty minutes that
John G. Milburn consumed at the be-
ginning Of the sitting in the. conclus-
ion Of his opening address. and about
an equal length OF time occupied by
y. T. Watson at the close Of the day.
both in defense Of the Standard Oil
all the time was taken up by Mr. KEEL
logg.
His object was to give q history Of
the Standard oil and its activities
which he denominated rs monopolis-
tic but frequently ne WAS laa ofi in
to the law of the case. He seemed in
cined to leave many Of these points 10
the discussion of Attorney tirn"ral
Wickersham. who IS u close the taf.
for the government tonnaroW Far
ticularly was this true ss "a ihr putal
of common OWNERSHIP pf STANDARD 81
property urged BY the defense to
have existed both before and altcf
the organization or the alleged lllee-
al combination in 1872.
Time after time the court manifest
cd its keen interest in the case by sub
iecting counsel to q series Of queries
They were particularly anxious to
know about the common ownership
claimed by the standard on counsel
and to get the various interpretations
of the meaning that should be given
to the word "mononoNi' as used in
the sherman anti-trtts, act.
The day brought out a sharp con
flict of purposes between the govern
ment and Standard oil AIR kcllogg
on behalf Of the government dwelt
upon the activities OF the corporation
in order TO prove an intent TO monop-
olize.
on the other hand the Standard
Oil counsel eontended that such mat
ters we're moi before the court for re-
view.
Mr. Kellogg charged that the stan
dard oil. since its pipe lines had been
made common carriers. had estab-
places. whore nobody ever had re-
finery.N Their rates were prohibitive, I
counsel said, and that was the reason (
applications to use the pipe lines had Z
not been made by independents.
Railroad rates, as a means of un-
fair competition were next considered. !
He spoke Of the number Of Standard (
turned to what he called the unfair
methods Of competition. As an eX-
i e .N..ay 4 D ffs.s.
oil at 4 loss in Los Angeles where
there was competition and at profit
IN Portland and Seattle where there
aus no competition
They may say that is only COM
petition. but we say it is competition
hat is dangerous in the hands of
spreading all over this
country.
MIR Kellogg then turned to Il discus
sion of the purely legal phases of the
controversy. He argued that the
Northern Securities decision applied
quarelY to the case.
In touching on the claim of COM
non ownership he said that at times
when Il was convenient the opposition
lwelt upon corporate entity but in
he present instance they were anX
Gus 70 go beyond the corporation to
he individual He argued that the ac-
ion of the corporations was before
he court
Justice White and Justice Lurton
uestioned him on how he interpreted
he two sections of the sherman anti
rust law In question He answered
hat much depended on the degree Of
ontrol possessed in each ease by the
The twenty minutes occupied by -.
:. Watson for the company were de-
oted to the argument that the only
hing the circuit court below held to
e i'm violation of the Sherman anti
rusa law Was the mbinatiOn of +,
S99. lnasmnch as the government :
ad not appealed from the decree of :
he lower court he maintained no 9th i
+ point was before the supreme court ,
nd as he described il. the things Mr. !
Kellogg has spent threc-fourths of his
me talking about have nothing To do r
18th this issue 7
The plan tonight is for Mr.. Watson
% continue his address when court
iects At noon tomorrow lie is TO be
oilowed by Mr. Wickersham for the
oVeinment while John G.. Johnson is La
b close at the end of The day for the q
orporation Ia
In describing the progress of the "a
Mr. Kellogg said il has nj
.aved the black flag over the land as O.
theirs have done over the ocean. ~
With its qualifications. its influ- ii
nee and It's money power, ne said n
give it carte blanche. let it combine.
5 Mr.. Watson suggests. and Jet u cut 4,
Iices as Mr. Milburn speaks about n
nd I predict il viii control every in p
lstry IN this country m Ten years 20
a;i iu five wears "a
What makes "a great country" he n
g la
ie individual. the independent pro- \,
rictoI with the star OF hope that has
ways heen held out To- man before \
inn. Your honors. ia is bat e. step
ON combination 10 socialism aud but VI
Mother from socialism tu anarchy. "a
lie recalled Air. Aiilhurns state p
tent yesterday that the standard of rl
hio bad not dismantled reinrries
rchased %
MIR Millurn has NOT been connect %