The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-21

The stock market welcomed the re- ceipt of the news of the decision by cutting loose and celebrating the event with an enthusiastic boom in prices. In
 two days the market leaders advanced from 3 to points and the rest of the list dropped into step although not go ing quite so fast. The sense of relief was deep and widespread. It was as though irons had been stricken from hands and feet and the lungs given chance to fill up with invigorating air. Hundreds of millions of dollars which had been held in restraint have been lib- erated and now awaits employment.
 The first opening presented was the stock market. It was there that the was given. The captains and colonels and generals of finance and industry gave the word that the torture of re-
 pression and suppression was over and
 that business might go ahead with safety and without fear of further in reference. The oil trust makes no con- cealment of the fact that 1t Is more than satisfied with the result, and it will cheerfully go through the form of a reorganization which will be done without in any way interfering with the control or seriously disturbing the old organization.
 Attired in new suit of clothes, or perhaps two or three new suits. the old Standard Oil monopoly will continue to buy, produce, refine and sell large per centage of the oil that comes out of the ground in the United States as it has been doing for a generation or more. In due time the exact form and announced.
 Not a dollars worth of value has been impaired by the supreme court decision abolishing the Standard oil trust and business will be continued at the old stand with the slightest possible in or change. Nevertheless it will continue to be hailed as a great moral victory for the public The big interests are admonshed to be good and at the same time successful prosecution for being bad has been practically de- stroyed except in the one particular, that the officials may be fined and sent to jail at the end of protracted and cost ly litigation which will have to be paid by those bringing action, whether it be the government or private parties.
 The benefcieht effect of the decision on the stock market and general business cannot be disputed It Is a fact which stands out in boldest relief. It finds expression not only in an instan- taneous broadening out of stock specu- lation but also in the sense of buoyant relief which is voiced in every indus trial and trade quarter. The enamel patton from the thraldom of a pro- tracted deadlock is general It is seen from ocean to ocean and from the gulf to the Canadian line. It Is deep and genuine. It contains promise of good times and of a wholesale and imme- diate improvement.
 It is what the country has been work ing for and there Is now no further excuse for delaying a revival of activi- ty in all departments of business life and of a complete restoration of confi- dence Railroads having equipped them selves with fresh capital to the amount of at least s600,000, 900 since the first of the year are in position to set the ball rolling by sending in orders to the steel and equipment companies for rails and other metal material and for cars and locomotives.
 They can begin spending money with out further delay and the indications are that they will be doing so very quickly There is willing tendency everywhere to loosen up and an era of good times apears to be in the i'm mediate forefront.
 That court decision is the most inn portant event that has transpred in a