The Oskaloosa herald., 1911-01-19
KELLOGG CLOSES
HIS OIL ARGUMENT
Bitterly Arraigns Standards Mo.
nopolist Methods.
WATSON OPENS FOR TRUST
Tells Court Big Corporation 10 Being
Prosecuted for Alleged omenses
Committed Nearly Quarter
Of Century Ago.

. washington, Jdu li.-DTcdhluS lntO
the bitter arraignment of Standard
Oils monopolistic methods, unfair
treatment of competitors and criminal
practices with railroads with which
Frank B. Kellogg, trust buster, closed
his argument in the supreme court,
David T. Watson, the Pittsburg lawyer
and counsel for the oil company, told
the court the Standard Oil was being
prosecuted for offenses alleged to have
been committed more than twenty
years ago; that It was beneficent
law-abiding corporation; that its meth
DDS were legitimate and that its dis
section would be disastrous and UNI
Just .H;.. -.... 49,. r.. .,.
No Evidence Of Influenced Rates.
ut is said there is no evidence of
the Standard OIL having Influenced
rates" said Mr.. Kellogg. "Of course
there Is not. But the Standard Oil had
Its directors on the board of directors
of the great railroads of the country
Did anyone expect they would testify
to having Influenced rates? When It
10 ouoWh lhdt INDEPENDENT VII COuipd-
MES had to pay higher rates than the
Standard Oil that should suffice"
He showed how the prices of refined
oil and its products had risen since
1897 i'om 80 to 65 per cent, while
the price of crude oil had declined.
This combination, with all its
wealth, power and boasted capacity,
lid not give the American people the
slightest consideration In the cheap
sned productions through improved
methods" he observed.
Mr.. Kellogg produced evidence to
show that in sections of the country
open to independent oil companies the
Standard OIL had cut prices to break
the independents, making up for this
loss by advances In prices in purely
Standard Oil territory. In the inter
mountain states the profits run from
$50 to 100 per cent.
"One of the greatest advantages to
the people is to keep open the door OF
opportunity" declared Mr. Kellogg
The Standard Oil has closed this door
to hundreds" .'... S."
Received Discriminating Rates.
Then Mr.. Kellogg charged Standard
Oil with receiving discriminating
rates from railroads to the disaster Of
Independents through concession, Sc
cret agreements and unpublished tariff
schedules.
There is a desire among the Ameri-
can people," concluded Mr. Kellogg,
to end these great combinations. Con-
gress has announced in the Sherman
act the policy It desires. 1t remains
for this court to determine whether
these combinations are to continue.
The speeches of Senators Sherman,
Davis. Vest, Hoar and Edmunds and
Of Representative Wilson of West Vir.
ginia when the Sherman act was be-
ing framed are enlightening and con-
elusive on this point. They knew for
what they were legislating. They in
stanced the Standard Oil as a monop.
oily to be broken. I believe the law Is
against the unrestricted control of I'M
limited capital"
Oil Running Product. .
THE supreme court" said Mr.. Wat
son, counsel for the Standard OIL, has
never had a case like this. Oil is a
running product Millions were thrown
away in wild cat borings. AS much
money has been sunk in unproductive
wells as has been made out of oil.
These Standard Oil men engaged in
his as life work. They risked every
dollar they had or made. All the 18
original refineries were built by one
group of men. That group is still to-
sether In the Standard OIL There
never was competition among these
partners. They have connected, uni
fed plant for refining and handling of
the products Of oil. 1t is an unequaled
plant. capable of infinite good. You
are engaged in the destruction of this
unified plant, worth fully 100000, 900,
and protest"
Mr.. Watson contended the only issue
In this case is that in 1870 the Rookie
,ellers and their associates combined
and engaged in conspiracy to re-
strict trade and create a monopoly in
the oil business. The department of
Justice, he said, had dropped this
charge and was trying the Standard
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