Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1910-03-14
STANDARD OIL is facing A BIT.
TIE FOR EXISTENCE.
Legal Fight Begins Tomorrow. His
tory OF the Government Fight to
Dissolve Giant Corporation Sum-
married.. Decision Awaited With
Interest by Business world.

WASHINGTON, March 1.-THE
most serious legal battle the Standard
Oil has ever faced will confront it
next Monday.
That is the day set by the su-
preme court of the United States to
hear arguments on the appeal of the
Standard Oil company of New Jer-
sey, from the adverse judgment of
the United States circuit court for
the eastern district of Missouri
which ordered the dissolution of the
New Jersey corporation as an ille-
gal combination and monopoly in re-
straint of interstate commerce. To
point out the alleged errors of the
circuit court in its findings and in
its decree the keenest intellects with
in command have been procured. To
argue for the affirmance OF the de-
cision of the lower court Mr.. Wick
ersham, the attorney general of the
United States himself will head a
brilliant array of counsel for the gov
ernment
FINDINGS Against Individuals
The circuit court announced
grave findings against the seven in
dividual defendants, John d. Rookie
Teller, William Rockefeller. Hen
ry H. Rogers and John d.
Archibold, Oliver H. Payne and
Charles Nj. Pratt, the Standard
Oil company of New Jersey and 9TH
Ell defendant companies
The court found that in 1899, by
an exchange of stock by the seven
individuals, the Standard Oil COM
pany of New Jersey acquired the le-
gal title TO a majority of the stock
OF nineteen companies which in turn
controlled large number OF others
all but one engaged in the oil busi-
ness.
FINDINGS as to Combine
What it found as TO the COM
bination was:
That since 1899 the affairs of all
these companies have been managed
by the principal company as the
business of single person, so as to
fix for the the price of crude oil, the
rates for transportation and the sell
ing prices of its products.
That the par value OF the COM
bined capital stock in 1899 was about
was $50, 900, 900.
owned 81 $50 miles of pipe lines.
That six of these companies had
3.574 selling stations throughout the
| United States.
| That these companies from 1899
| to 1907 produced more than one
tenth of the crude oil obtained in
this country.
That they owned and operated
more than one-half of all the tank
cars used to distribute it's products.
Almost Monopoly Of Refined Oil
That they manufactured more than
three-fourths of all the crude oil
refined in the United States.
That they transported more than
| four-fifths CT the petroleum derived
from the Pennsylvania and Indian
oil fields.
That they marketed more than
| four-ffths of all the Illuminating oil
sold in the United States.
That they exported more than four
Gfths OF all the Illuminating oil
sent forth from the United States,
That they sold more than four
ffths Of all the naphtha sold in the
United States.
That they sold more than nine
! tenths Of all the lubricating oil sold
to railroad companies in the United
/ States.
Trade Conspiracy Found
On this finding the court 0ecreed:
That the organization of 1899 was a
combination or conspiracy in re-
straint of Interstate commerce in
petroleum and its products such as
the first section OF the Sherman an
THRUST act declares is Illegal; that
the seven individual defendants the
Standard Oil company of New jersey
and thirty-uine other companies, had
entered into Il combination or con-
spiracy to mopopoliZe ANA had in
| fact monopoliHed a substantial part
Of Interstate commerce in Niolaton
of the second section Of the sherman
lanti-trust act; that thirty, ,hree
other companies accused were PROV
ed not to be in this combination.
Enioined from Control
The court enjoined the principal
/ company and its directors from eXer-
cising any control over the subsid-
iary companies from declaring Oi
| paying any dividends to the prill-
cipal company but not from distrib-
uting ratably to the shareholders OF
the principal company the stock OF
the subsidiary company it enjoined
those found to be in the illegal COM
4 bination' from continuing in it ol
forming a new combination by means
Of aggregation of the physical prop
critics in the hands Of one member
Of the continuation, and forbade
those in the combination from en-.
gaging interstate commerce unit
The combination was discontinued
Attorney General Wickershau
probably will make the principal az
gument to the court in favor Of dis
solution. Frank b. Kellogg, of Min
nesota, and Charles =. Morrison, o
Chicago, have been most active il