The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-03-16
HOLDS OIL TRUST
AS PUBLIC DANGER
Governments Turn in Argu-
ment OH Suit TO Dissolve the
Giant Corporation.
ATTORNEY f. B. KELLOGG
SEVERE IN ARRANGEMENT
Special Stress Laid Upon DAN
ger of Unfair Competition
Against Small Men.

WASHINGTON. March l5-Holdjng
up the Standard Oil company Of New
Jersey as q danger to the country and
dent that should he eradicated from
the business world. Frank r. Kellogg
today aryaigned the corporation before
the supreme court of the United States
Ii was the government 5 turn TO be
heard in the argument over The disso-
luton Of the company, as decreed by
the circuit court of rhc United States
for The eastern district of Missouri,
Except about twenty minutes That
John Milburn consumed nj the begin
ming Of the sitting in the conclusion OF
his opening address aud about an equal
length of time occupied by -. w Wat
son at The close of the day, both in
the defense Of the Standard OIL. all
the timc was taken up hv Mr.. keI-
log9.
He gave a history of the Standard
OIL and lis activities With frequent
comments on the law of the case. lie
seemed inclined To leave manv of the
legal points for discussion br Attorney
General NIcEcrsEam. who is 10 close
the case for The government tomorrow
Particularly was this true of The rrln-
cipic Of common ownership Of Standard
Oil property, urged hv the defense To
have existed both before and after the
organization of tic alleged illegal com
hnaii"n in lS99
Court Shows Interest.
Time after time rhe court manifested
is keen interest in thc ease bv sub
irciinc counsel to series % queries.
They were anxious 10 know about the
common ownership claimed by the
STANDARD oil counsel. aud 10 get the
various INTERPRETATIONS Of the meaning
that should he given the word mo
mopolv. a used IN the sherman anti
trust act.
The day brought Out . sharp cou5
hlct OF PURPOSES between ne govern
meur and Standard Oil. Nh. Kellogg
OF behalf OF the government. dweit
-rynon the activities OF frc corporation
10 prove su intent 10 monopolze.
ON ihe other hand. the Standard Oil
counsel coniended that snch matters
were not before The court for review.
Mr.. Kellogg charged Thai the stand
common carriers. had established sta
rions AT outIaudish places. where no,
body ever had refinery.
Their rates were pTohibirve. counsel
said and that was the reason appilcs-
lions 10 use The pipe lines had mol been
made by independents.
Railroad rates. as a means Of unfair
competition. were next considered He
spoke Of the number of Standard Oil
officials i'm many railroads.
Unfair Competition,
From the railroad question he re
turned to What he called the unfair
methods of competition. As an exam
pie. he told Of the STANDARD selling oil
al loss in Los Angeles. where there
was competition. and nj profit in
Portland and Seattle. whore there was
no competition.
They NAV say that is only compcti
ton. but We say il is competition that
is dangerous in the hands of n corpo-
ration spreading all over this coun.
try.
Alleged bogus Independent companies
organized bv the Standard were like
wise cassed as dangerous 10 competl.
tiCn
Mr. kellogg then turned 10 a discus
sion of tho purely legal phases Of the
controversy He argued that The
Northern Securities decision applied
sQuarelv TO the case.
In touching on The claim of common
ownership. hc said that AT times when
if was convenient. tho defendants
dwclt upcu corporate entity. but in the
present instance they were anxious to
90 bcvond the corporation 10 the iudl.
yidual He argued that the action OF
thc corporation WAS before the court.
Interpretation OF Law.
Justice White and Justice I.urror
questioned him on how he interpreted
fhc two sections Of tho Sherman anti
trust law in question. He answered that
much depended on the degree Of con
troll possessed in each ease by the cor
porations,
The twenty minutes occupied hv ID.
I. Watson fer the company were dc
voted Ia The argument that The only
thing the circuit court below held To
he IN violation Of the Sherman anti.
, trust law WAS thc combination of 500
! lie maintained NO other point WAS bo
| fore The supreme court, and rs he
described If, the things Mr.. Kellogg
! has spent three fnurihS Of his time tain
I ing abont have nothing to do with tho
! issues
The plan tonight is for MIR Watson
10 continue his address when court
meets al noon tomorrow He is 10 bc
followed nv Mr.. Wickcreham for Tho
government. while John G. johnson is
to close al the end Of the day for ihe
! corpora tiou