Evening star., 1911-06-11

for a nickel. and when even 'two-fers
weren't so bad. they would be willing
enough to shout. "Rah. rah. rah!" with
Attorney General Wickersham.
And why shouldn't there be relief In
the matter of tobacco for the people? ?
When the combination had everything
in their own hands there was, OF course,
no incentive to keep up the quality OF to-
bacco. All they had to do was TO ding
dong at advertising a certain brand. and
persuade the dealers to handle it. and
they could sell 1t even il it were half
alfalfa
4'x
The growers OF tobacco will very likely
now have their turn, too They want to
be certain that the price Of their tobacco
product will be regulated. not by meet
ing of boards OF directors In New York
city. but by the great economic princi-
pie of supply and demand. The tobacco
combination will no longer interfere with
that principle. 1t cannot be possible that
the tobacco trust magnates would care
now to attempt to prevent he staruns
M of small factories on tobacco farms
and Plantations.
So complicated is the tobacco combina-
ton in its makeup that when it is broken
M the pieces will fly like popcorn on
hot stove. Even if the Supreme Court
lad merely directed the dissolution OF the
tobacco combination. the Duke people,
though guided by the best paid lawyers
in the world. would not be able to keep
track of the pieces. 1t Is difficult even
to understand the ramifcations OF the
stockholders and Observation-Disclosures
among the combination and the scores
# subsidiary companies forming 1t. as
well as between each other. all totahng
1T least four hundred millions of dollars!
The work of adjusting all these intere SITS
and sub-interests equitably would meas
rrre UT to the tasks set fer Hercules.
The Chief Justice frankly says he does
not know how to do ii and at the same
time safeguard the rights of the general
auhlic and of private property. Ac-
~ardinglv he directs the circuit court of
New York city to confer with the parties
interested and TO determine upon some
rrethod of dissolving the combinatlo ion and
Of recreating a condition not contrary to
law The circuit court is going to be as
busy as kitten with feas this summer
They will he able to sympathlze with
chief Justice Whites prodigious task OF
learning twelve thousand pages or oil
record They will be working for some
thing very we'll worth while. however. be-
rause what they finally decide upon will
when approved by the Supreme Court. be
the rule of procedure in the future for
ali the great industrial and transporta-
ton combina ions In the land.
On the other hand, there Is very little
doubt that the Rockefeller people can for
some time retain their control Of the
eighty-odd companies forming the Stand
ard Oil combination. They own a ma
jority of the stock in all the companies
and the Supreme Court has said that the
rights of the stockholders must be pre-
served In carrying out the court decree
of dissolution. Moreover. continued con-
troll of the oil business Of the country by
the old Standard officials Is made easier
because. while the magnitude of the COM
bination Is almost beyond understanding,
representing values of about half a bill
Ion, yet the control by the holding COM
pany was not complicated. and it's af
fairs are. after all, comparatively sim
pie. Consequently there should not be
near the trouble one would suppose in
picking the combination to pieces.
Then, too. petroleum is restricted to GER