The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-06-16
SLAPPED ON WRIST.
Standard Oil Company Given Mild Re
bulSe by Kansas Supreme Court.

The supreme court has handed down
an automatic decision IN three sections
in the famous Standard Oil custer case.
The principal victory of the state in
this decision is that the oil company
must pay the costs. Otherwise it does
not suffer much. 1t is prohibited in
the decision from doing things that 1t
has never done. 1t is further enjcired
from the practice of discrimination in
prices in the effort to kill competition.
The decision is a warning and a scold-
ing and the only place it hurts. as
above stated, is that it compels Stand
ard to pay the costs, amounting to
about So. 900.
Three companies were made defend
ants in the suits. The Standard Oil
company of Indiana. the Standard Oil
company of Kansas and the Prairie Oil
and Gas company These suits Were
started by former Attorney General
Jackson and d ton Of evidence was ta-
ken. during the past two years
The state commended that there vas
an illegal agreement between the com
panies in the conduct OF the OIL Dusl-
ness. The decision does not prevent
the companies from carrying on bust
ness as they did in the past, but they
must be more careful in the sale and
ownership of stocks.
According to Attorney General Daw-
son the following sections OF the decis-
ion have teeth in them
Engaging within the state of kan
sas in the business of producing and
selling crude petroleum except for fuel
and power purposes
selling for the purpose of destroying
competition, any petroleum, or refined
or manufactured product of petroleum
at a lower rate or price in one section,
community or city within the state q
Kansas than it charges for the same IN
another section, community or city
therein after equalizing the distance
from the point of production. manu-
facture or distribution and freight rates
therefrom.
"Malxing and executing any contract
ar contracts. ARA ngementS or under
standings whereby any person. firm p
CORPORATION shall be required, or IS
hound to. refrain from the purchase
handling or sale of petroleum or Pc
troleuna products manufactured or sold
within the state Of Kansas by any 9TH
er person, firm or corporation
Selling under different brands or
trade names any oil or oils OF the
same value and quality at different
prices for the purpose OF destroying
com petition.
making or carrying out any ar
engagements, contracts, agreements, IN
derstandingS, trusts or combinations
between themselves or any tNO %
more of them, or with any otner per
sons. firms or corporations, with view
or which tend to advance, reduce OF
control the price or the cost to the
producer or to the consumer or 70
prevent the full and free com petition
in the importation, transportation,
manufacture or sale of crude petrol
cum, or any of its products.
'.COnspiring or combining with
themselves or with any other persons.
w
out the state of Kansas for the pur-
pose of monopolizing the production.
transportation, manufacture or sale or
crude petroleum, or any of its pro-
ducts.
Issuing or owning trust certificates
of stock or entering into any com olna-
ton, contract, agreement, arrange
ment or understanding with any per-
son or persons, corporation or corpor-
atoms or with any stakeholder or Gi-
rector thereof, or issuing or owning
stock for the purpose of erecting or
attempting to effect any com binatl0n,
understanding to place the manage
ment or control of the aforesaid sever
al buSine SseS or the manufactured
product thereof in the hands OF any
trustee or trustees, holding company
or agency, with the intent to limit or
fix, or to the effect of limiting or Fix
ing the price or to lessen the produe-
ton, transportation. manufacture or
sale of crude oil or any of its products
Ito fix any standard or figure
whereby the price to the public of
crude petroleum, or any of its pro
ducts, shall be in any manner con
trolled or established.
ITO make, or enter into, execute, or
carry out any contract, obligation,
agreement. arrangement or under
standing of any kind or description by
which they, or any of them, shall bind
or have to bind themselves not to
produce, transport. sell, manufacture
or dispose of crude petroleum, or any
of its products, or by which they or
any of them shall agree in any manner
to keep the price thereof at a fixed or
graded figure. or by which they or
any of them shall in any manner es-
tablish or settle the price thereof
between themselves and others to pre-
clude the free and unrestricted compe-
tition therein. or by which they shall
agree TO pool, combine, or unite any
cause they may have in connection
Herewith that its price may in any
manner be affected"