The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-06-16
DAWSON IS PLEASED.
Attorney General Explains WHAT
Standard Oil Decision Means.

Attorney General John S. Dawson Is
pretty well satisfied with the supreme
court decision In the Standard Oil
custer suit. While the court did not
oust the big oil company from the
state. yet its decision. in the opinion of
the attorney general, made it easy for
the state prosecutor to make the oil
company be good in the future. In
other words, it has reduced the ca
pacity OF the Standard for law viola
ton Or crushing competition to a mini
mum In a statement given out to-
day regarding the decision, Mr.. Daw-
son says:
ut is only fair to all concerned and
to all interested to say that the de-
cree entered yesterday afternoon In
the Standard Oil case was effected by
settlement between the attorneys
for the Standard Oil companies and
myself. The hard work and drudgery
of the case was done by Attorney
General Coleman, Attorney General
Jackson, Charles D. Shukers. Preston
Coleman and F. L. Williams. The
responsibility for the character OF the
decree rests with me. The court
kindly made. suggestions which I was
glad to adopt and in which the at
torneys for the Standard finally ac-
quiesced.
After a thorough investigation of
the whole situation concerning the oil
! business in Kansas. 1 became Satis-
i
lie good to throw the Standard COM
/ panies clear out of the state. Indeed,
! Judge Keplinger's findings were to the
effect that to drive these corpora
tiOnS out of the state would work a
positive injury to the public for an
! indefinite length Of time. With that
/ in view, began to spar for a decree
which would give the state everything
except a complete judgment of custer.
/ In that 1 think I have been successful
/ YaoIfnxy a hr4r1 +
/ fled by the findings of the commits
sioner.
ssThe capacity for mischief and op-
preston and combination and dis
elimination has been taken complete
/ ly away from these corporations, nor
can their stocks or trust certificates be
used either directly or indirectly to
\ make or attempt any future combina-
/ ton. They must stand as absolutely
/ independent concerns just as much as
the wheat grower, the miller and the
baker do.
Il propose to collect claims for civil
penalties against the Standard COM
| panies within the next few months
/ controversy between the state and the
| oil trust. Indeed, the penalties have
been practically agreed upon and only
need the filing Of suits in districf
courts where they should properly bs
! paid in compliance with the constitu-
ton. which is very specific on thai
point.
''I wish to avoid a repetition of whai
| occurred in q former trust case where
the school fund of one county got al
the penalties"
Much has been said and written in
the past six years against the Stand
ard Oil company In view of these
| things it might be well to print thu
findings of the supreme court in this
custer suit favorable to the company
The court found for the oil company in
certain sections of its decision as fol
lows
THE Indiana company's facilities fol-
the sale and distribution of oils are SUI
perior to those of any of its com
petitors and by reason of the quality
of it's oils and its prices as compared
with those of it's competitors, and SUI
perior service rendered in serving it:
patrons, the retail dealers throughout
the state generally find 1t more salts
factory tc deal with.
1.-The manner in which the Indiana
company has transacted its business II
Kansas is beneficial to the people ol
the state in many respects and has no
been shown to be otherwise in any re
spect.
by reason of its superior facilitie,
for serving and the extent to which Il
does now ser TIA public, the prices Il
charges and the quality of it's goods
the exclusion OF the Indiana company
from doing business in this state woulC
be, at least for an indefinite period, {
great detriment to tie general public