The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1911-01-12
CIRCUIT COURTS DECREE
WAS AGAINST The TRUST
Was Declared an Illegal Com
blnaiiOn in Restraint Of
Interstate Commerce
(By Associated press.)


Washington, d. c., Jan. 1l-Argu.
ment was started today in the United
states supreme court in the Standard
oil dissolution suit.
The suit under the Sherman anti.
trust law to dissolve the Standard
Oil organization was instituted IN
1905 in the circuit court Of the United
States for the Eastern district OF
Missouri. The proceedings were be-
gun by the department of justice
in The name of the United States
against ia corporations and seven
individuals,
The principal corporation was the
Standard Oil company of New Jersey
From 1882 to the present time this
company IS said to have operated re-
fineries itself, but in 1899 its stock
Was increased to 100000, 600 so as
to enable it to acquire the stock
of nineteen other oil companies,
which in turn owned a large number
Of companies, concerned in the oil
business. The Standard Oil company
of New Jersey was designated as a
holding company and is similar to
the American Tobacco company, the
organization of which was consider
ed by the court during the last few
days
The seven individuals named In the
suit as defendants were John d. Rock
efeller, William Rockefeller, Henry
N Flagler, Henry II. Rogers, John d.
Arehb0ld, Olivr II. Payne, and Charles
M. Pratt The part of these men are
said to have played In the alleged
violation CT the Sherman antitrust
law has been summarized by the gov
ernment as follows
Combined to Control Trade.
About 1870 the Reokefei,ors and
Flagler conceived the purpose Of con-
trolling the petroleum trade, both
domestic and export and obtaining
a monopoly thereof. They entered
into conspiracy to accomplish this
purpose which from time to time
took the form Of various combinations
Shortly after 1870 the Rockefellers
and Flagler were joined in the con
spiracy by Rogers Archbold, Payne
and Pratt.
The form which the alleges conspir-
acy took is described by the govern
ment as being from 1870 to 1882, "a
combination between a large number
Of manufacturers who acted in har.
mony and whose stock interests were
pooled in the hands of three trus.
tees in 1879 From 1882 to 1899. the
firm OF the alleged combination was
that Of a trust agreement, whereby
the stock Of a large number OF cor
porations was placed IN the hands O"
trustees, who managed the properly,
From 1899 to the present time the
combination is alleged to have TAX
I e. the form Of holding company, the
otan ard Oil Company of New Jer.
sey.
Declared an illegal Combination.
The four judges in the circuit court
found that the Standard Oil was an
! Illegal combination in restraint of in
terstate commerce and was also mon
0polizing the oil trade A decree was
entered enjoning the holding com
| pany from exercising any control
owe rthe subsidiary companies. and
/ ef Joining the subsidiary companies
/ fr9m paying any dividends to the
/ h9l ling company. All were enioin-
ed from engaging in interstate com
merae until the Illegal combination
was discontinued
The court also found that the Stand
ard Oil
Produced more than l-l0 OF the
cruGe oil obtained In this country.
Owned and operated more than IL
ef all the tank cars used to distribute
its products
Manufactured more than 3-4 of all
the crude oil refined in the United
States.
Transplanted more than 40 of the
petroleum derived from the Pennsyl-
yania and Indiana oil fields
Marketed more than As of all the
Illuminating oil sold in the United
| States.
Exported more than 4-5 Of all the
i Illuminating oil sent forth from the
United States aa.e.elt
Sold more than ID OF all the naph.
tha sold In the Unitel States.
Sold more than $40 of all the lu-
bricating oil sold to the railroad com
panies in the United States.
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