The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-03-11
OIL TRUST BACK
WITH NEW BRIEF.
Best Legal Talent of Nation Is
Making Fight for Giant
Combine.
ARGUMENT TO BE HEARD
MONDAY AS TO DISSOLUTION
Claim Is Made That Oil Can Ad-
vance as Well as Other
NeceSSaries.

WASHINGTON. March 10.-Although 4
pl1ef 'on the part OF the appellants'' was
already on file In the supreme court of
tnc United States. second group OF
legal talent OF the Standard Oil company
today presented TO the court an inde-
pendent defense OF the organization
Today's defenders are three prominent
eastern attorneys. John G. johnson of
Philadelphia, John G. Milburn and Frank
l.. Crawford OF New York
The urst defense was prepared by
pittsburg counsel d. r. Watson. John NJ.
Freeman and Ernest Irwin. on Monday
the court will hear oral arguments on
the decree OF the circuit court dissolving
the Standard Oil company OF New York.
Going Into the Facts
The eastern counsel went moro fully
the Plttsburg attorneys. Particular stress
is laid on the claim in the brief that the
record shows no unreasonable advanced
IN, IN the average prices Of the Standa rda
1T appears. in fact, that there was noj
increase in their net price" say coun-
What the governments position
amounts TO is that the actual prices fort
| relned oil should have stood still while
an other prices were raising. including
manufacture OF oil and chiefly the price 4
OF labor But suppose IL were other |
wise. there is no principle OF law or OIL
political economy requiring a manufac- |
turer to give away a profit which he carsi
make by economies in manufacture"
Juggling of Figures. !
The governments method Of estimat-
ing the profits the Standard Oil has been
making is denounced In the brief as
'unsound in law and as CONTRARY to
business principles and the facts OF hu-
man experience.
considering only the rate Of profit, /
which for seven years, 1900 1906 aver
aged less than % per cent on the total
net capital invested year by year in the
business that rate OF profit is a reason
able one FOR "a great manufactures, brysj- !
ness. involving the elements OF risk /
which characterize the oil industry. es- !
pecially where, as here. a great proper |
non OF the profits is derived from busi- !,
ness with foreign countries outside pro- |
lection OF American laws and In cornpe-
tition with manufacturers and merchants
Of the world
Question of Profits I
1T is believed that few IL any, iarse
manufacturing enterprises in this couu-
Try, at least in prosperous years. make I;
less than % per cent profits pcr aunuu .
when such profits are rcckoned upon the
assets"
This is the explanation given Of vha,
Is des.gnated as The ,remarkable sue
The success NJ the Standard Oil busi-
ness, broadly considered" the brief con
tlnues. is due to extraordinary fore
sight. eS Scr@y and bo6ness and Ia !. mol
icy OF investment on an immense scale
displayed and carried out in evel.y,
branch oi the petroleum industry This
Industry may he analysed under four
great heads:
Plea in Abatement.
81 Insurng q constant and adoouate
supply of crude oil: o. getting the crude
oil 10 the rcfincries: C3l maintaining ex-
JcnSire, up date. we'll situated re-
fincries snd employing the latest and
most economical refining methods; 90 de-
velop,Dg and extending markets dorY,s-
Tic and foreign. by improved marketing
methods
The charge Jhat the Standard Oil
companies, through their control of pine
lnres. have monopoi1ed the purchsss
aud transportation Of crude oil is de-
clarcd in the brief TO be entirely un.
supported by the record"