El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-04-12

Washington, D. c., april 1Z.-For
years STANDARD DIR has been under
the scrutiny of state and federal gov
ernments- During the last four years
the litigation which Is now before the
supreme court and on which new argu-
,ments were called yesterday, has en-
gagged the attention of the federal
scourts. Since March II of this year,
the supreme court has weighed the con-
troversy of these years The climax
was expected soon. but owing to the
death Of justice Brewer. new argu-
ments have been called for.
The first great fight over theN meth
DDS of the Standard Oil interests was
directed against the Standard Oil com
pany Of Ohio. AS a result of the liti-
cation. this organization was dis
solved. The stock drifted into the
hands of trusts of one form and ano-
other, and more litigation followed.
Then the Standard Oil company of New
Jersey was reorganized in 1899. With
its capital stock of $4,000 600, it be-
came the holding company: that is. it
acquired the stock, of 10 other oil COM
panies. which in turn controlled a still
larger number of companies engaged in
various branches of the oil business.
q. s. Takes a Hand.
The task OF fighting STANDARD Oil"
had outgrown the states, and the fed
eral government took up the cudgeL
The bureau of corporations was organ
lied. and as its first assignment, under
took an investigation of the Standard
Oil 1T reached into the very vitals
of the corporation according to the
description Of that inquiry given in
court by the Standards council
Then in 1906, justice Moody. now of
the supreme court, then attorney gen
eral of the united States, directed the
filing of petition in the federal cir
cult court for the eastern district Of
Missouri, for the dissolution of the
Standard OH company of New Jersey,
as a combination of restraint Of inter-
state trade and a monopoly, all in vio-
lation of the Sherman antitrust law.
The petition was loaded with the am
munition collected by the states and by
the bureau of corporations
The Individuals Naned
John i. Rockefeller, William Rookie
Teller, Henry H Rogers, Henry NJ Flag
Ter, John d. Arch bold, Oliver H. Payne
and Charles NJ Pratt were named as in
dividual defendants. The Standard Oil
company of New Jersey headed a list
of ia companies designated as de
PENDANT corporations
The hearing finally came on. Only
the Waters Pierce Oil company was
resident in the circuit, and the Stand
and denied the right of the court to
compel the other defendants. outside
the circuit to appear in court. 1t lost
In this contention. Testimony was taken
in Missouri and in New York. Finally
early in this year, over three years
after the filing of the petition in the
circuit court. the four judges who had
been called in to pass on the suit an
nounced the decree of the court.
Government Upheld.
That decree upheld nearly every con
tention the government had made. II
did, however dismiss some of the de-
PENDANT companies. 1t decreed that the |
reorganization of the Standard Oil COM |
Oany of New Jersey in 1899 constituted !
1 combination and conspiracy in re- !
;traint Of commerce among the states 4
md with foreign nations. and a COM
oinatfon and conspiracy to monopolize I
hat commerce in violation of sections
me and two respectively of the Sher-
nan antitrust act.
The principal or holding company was