The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1911-01-12
STANDARD OIL
CASE ARGUED
INHI.GH COURT
Government Seeks 70 Dis
solve 1t and Subsid-
iary Concerns.
HISTORY OF THE SUIT
lin Brief is One Of Much In
terest to the General
Public.

~ 4 Z
Public.
WASHINGTON, D. q, Ian. III
me final fight Of Standard OH" for
us very existence under the present
erganizat!on is expected to begin lat
to-day in the supreme court, Of the
united States. he argument in the
tobacco dissolution suit is expected
'to be concluded about half an hour
Eoetore the court adjourns. John
9. MilDurn viii then lay before the
! court the foundation for the defense
lof the Standard against Its proposed
dissolution under the Sherman anti
trust law,
me suit under the Sherman anti
trust law to dissolve the Standard
oil organization was Instituted in
1896 in the circuit court Of the
united States for the eastera district
Iof AIissourui. The proceedings we're
Inegun by the Department OF Justice
I'm the name of the United States
against liza corporations and seven
individuals. n + q
The principal corporation was tina
standard Oil Company of New Iers
Isey' From 1882 to the present
time this company is said to have
operated refnerles itself, but in 1899
its stock was increased to 500, OOo,-
600 SOFAS to enable it to acuuire the.
stock Of nineteen other oil COM
! panies, which in turn owned d large
number of companies concerned IN
the .oil business. The Standard oit
Company OF New Jersey was deslgz
mated as holding company and is
similar to the American Tobacco
Company. the organization Of which
was, considered by the court during
the last few days.
Seven Are Named.
The seven individuals named in
the suit as defendants were John D.
Rockefeller, William Rockefeller,
Henry NJ. Flagler, Henry H. Rogers,
John D. Archbold, Oliver H. Payne
and Charles NJ. Pratt. The part
these men are said to have played
in the alleged violation of the sher-
man antitrust law has been sum
married. by the government as fol-
lows:
| About 1870 the RockefeAers aAdI
Flagler conceived the purpose OIL
controlling the petroleum trade,
hboth domestic and export, and Oh
tanning a monopoly thereof. They
entered into conspiracy to accom-
IPlish this purpose, which from time
to time took the form Of various
combinations. Shortly after 1890
the Rockefellers and Flagler were
Joined in the conspiracy by Rogers,
Archbold, Payne and Pratt.
The form which the alleged con-
sptracy took is described by the
government as being from 1870 to-
1852 "a combination between q
large number of manufacturers who
acted in harmony and whose stock
interests were pooled in the hands
of three trustees in 1879" From
1882 to 1899, the form of the al
legged combination was that OF a
trust agreement, whereby the stock
of large number of corporations
was placed in the hands of trustees,
who managed the property. From
1899 to the present time, the COM
bination is alleged to have taken
the form of holding company, the
Standard Oil Company of New Jer-
sey.
!, Judges Pass on Case.
The four Judges in the circuit
court found that the Standard Oil
Company was an Illegal combination
In restraint of interstate commerce
and was also monopolizing the oil
trade. A decree was entered en-
Joining the holding company from
exercising any control over the
subsidiary companies, and enioining
the subsidiary companies from pay
ing any dividends TO the holding
company. All were eniolned from
engaging in interstate commerce un-
.Stil the illegal combination was dis
continued.
The court also found that the
Standard oil:
Produced more than one-tenth of
the crude oil obtained in this coup-
) Itry