The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-10-06
WORLDS OIL
TRADE WAR
Shell Trading Company vs..
the Standard
PRICES DROP in THE EAST
And in Europe-Former Concern Sends
$4,000 Tons Here-American Trust
Says It Is Trying to Hold
the Trade.
PRICES DROP in THE EAST

New York, Oct. GA special London
cablegram to The Times says;-
Keen interest is taken in London in
the great war which has been begun be-
tween the STANDARD Oil company and
the Shell Trading Transport company,
for the control Of the worlds petroleum
trade.
While the Standards capital is given
as S3O0,000,OO0, the Shell company Of
which Sir Marcus Samuel is chairman,
and its allied concerns are said to repre-.
sent capital of s200,ooO,ooo. The Shell
company is quite confident OF its ability
to beat the American trust, and is al
ready attacking the Standard on the
latter's own ground BY sending large
ocnsignments Of oil to the United States.
Since the battle began the price Of
petrol in this country has gone down
seven cents a gallon.
Members of the Shell group, which in
cludes the Royal Dutch company and the
Asiatic company, assert that in the pc
troll trade Of Europe the proportion OF
the Shells business is siXty-tive per
cent, to the Standards thirty-five per
cent, but that the Standard does per.
haps siXty.fiye per cent. Of the total
Kerosene distributing business. The
STANDARD approached the Shell company
with a proposal that the latter should
hand over twenty-five per cent This
81, i.
companies have now made themselves
sole proprietors OF the Sumatran oil
wells
The attacks OF the American trust are
said to be manifested in various diree-
tons 1t has lowered prices in the
East India markets to rate which
gives, il is alleged, no return for the
oil it is shipping. TO counterfeit the de-
velopment OF the oil fields in Egypt,
it has greatly lowered the price Of kerr
osene there.
The Shell and Royal Dutch compa-
MES, on the other hand have disposed
Of fifty thousand tons of petrol for the,
United States at prices fifty per cent.
above those which the Standard is realiz-
ing in Europe. Therefore, they say, they
do not fear competition.
An official of the Anglo American Oil
company, which is regarded as the repre-
sentative Of the STANDARD Oil company
in this country, yesterday made the fol-
lowing statement;
We have not taken the initiative in
amy way We are simply trying to hold
the business here which we have built
up with great labor and at enormous
expense. There is no question OF try
ing to drive other people out of bust
ness, but our impression of the arrange
ment that existed between the Shell
company and the Standard is that it
referred only to the kerosene trade in
the far East. For reasons which do
not know, the arrangement was broken
off in the early part Of August 1t did
not, / believe apply to Europe at all, and
was confined to kerosene, but when it
came to an end drop of about Adj Is
cents per gallon in the price of petrol
took place here. We are simply keep
ing pace with our competitors. and have
no intention OF leading a war of cut
prices.
There was formerly kind Of market
ar NHAcHttlk Ny WAlNu we lfhileu fdtH
others prices and stucl: TO them. The
change is that there is now more Of
scramble for business"
A telegram from Vienna states that
the news Of the oil war has been re,
ceiyed with equanimity by the Austrian
oil industry. The manager of leading
Austrian firm said that the Standards
competition in Austria had not been
very successful, despite the cut in prices.
because of the preference given by Aus
trian purchasers to home industries
"The Austrian oil firms and the Stand
ard company" continued this informant.
compete al over the continent. but Is.
pecially in France and Germany they
wage a direct contest. Should the Stand,
ard be now contemplating a determined
attempt to cut out the Austrian firms
by considerable reduction in prices.
! have no hesitation in saving that the
Austrian oil industry viii fight. ! know
for fact that there are financial sup
plies amounting to hundreds of thou.
sands Of pounds available to carry on
such a struggle, and | believe il would
be entered upon with every prospect of
success"
A Berlin dispatch to The Daily Mail
says the Standard Oil company domi.
mates the German market, and the only
effect OF rate cutting would be to
strengthen the American hold upon it.
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