The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-10-21
W|CKERSHAM SAYS 0|L DECREE GIVES THE RELIEF SOUGHT Issues Statement Revealing Some of the Results
 of Inquiry CHAMBERLAIN ON
 OIL CONDITIONS Counsel for Independent Companies Says Conditions Have Improved. Rebate Giving by Standard
 Oil Co. Has Ceased


 contention that the decree dissolving the Standard oil company gave the relief sought by the antitrust suit against the corporation, Attorney General Wicker sham today issued statement revealing some of the results of an inquiry he has been making into conditions in the oil industry.
 The statement, intended as a further re- ply to criticisms that such decrees as that of the Standard oil benefited the trusts was built around a letter, optimistic as to present conditions, which the Attorney General recently rs lived from c. D. Chamberlain secre isy and general coun- sel of the Nationy Petroleum association. That organization Is composed of a large number of independent refining com panies, embracing, according to the Att torney General, all companies not con nected with the Standard Oil
 Attorney General WicKersham gave out with his statement copy of letter from Mir Chamberlain, who wrote that while the full effect of the decree cannot yet be judged, independents today have more unrestricted and more uncontrolled opportunity to carry their business without unfair. secret and oppressive competition on the part of one great rival than they have enjoyed for years past"
 Public Will Be Benefited
 With this opportunity and insurance of its permanence, he added, growing com petition will benefit the public and monopoly of the business be impossible.
 MT. Chamberlain wrote that, as result of the decree, there had been great ad- vance in the price of crude oil benetitting the crude producer and also an increase in the price of refined products, due to the higher cost of crude petroleum and the enormous demand for gasoline.
 The Attorney Generals statement did not mention the status or results or any of the several oil investigations the de- partment of justice has under way con corning conditions in certain parts of the country. These inquiries, based upon ale cations that the decree is being violated or that unfair methods obtain are local ized and at this time are said not to affect the general situation.
 Mir. Wickersham had written to MT. Charaber]aia, the statement said, for ac- cuia ste if..1nsatiSl as to present car5a tions, contrasted with those existing prior to the supreme court decision in May 1911. MT. Chamberlain pointed out that it was difficult to make such con- parison. because the effect of the gov ernment's prosecution of the Standard oil combination began practically with the filing of that suit in November, 1906. and from that date the practices of the Stand ard oil combination In large measure ceased to be predatory and the ndepend- ent dealers began to have chance to live"
 Relating Has Ceased
 This condition" Mr. Chamberlain added, continuously improved during the pendency of the governments suit and that improvement has continued since the decree of dissolution so that 1t may be safely stated that the giving of rebates upon which the Standard oil monopoly was built up has ceased, preferential rates are few and far between, disclosure of information by carriers of competitive shipments is no longer practiced, price cutting below cost to kill competition is rare and many other unethical commer- cial practices have become so infrequert as hardly to cause complaint. Now, the independent manufacturer and rehner Of oil is able to conduct his business with a fair share of profit reasonably due him and without the fearful handicap under which he labored before the governments s suit was brought
 Tn 1906 returns from the oil industry show that the Standard oil combination controlled about s4 per cent of the entire oil business of the United States and the remaining 16 per cent was distributed among the independent companies. The most accurate data which I have been able to secure show that at present the independent companies control 34 per cent, exclusive of California where, I am informed the independents control nearly co per cent
 Another Result
 'One other practical result of the gov ernment's prosecution and decree Is shown in the increased prices secured by the pro- ducers of crude petroleum The total production for the last five years was: 1907 166, 600 900 barrels 1908, IFS. .000,00O bar rels 1909, lS3,OOO000 barrels; 1el0 209000,- coo barrels. and 1911, 220000,0oo barrels.
 Since the decree of dissolution the price of crude oils has advanced from A cents to 70 cents barrel in the mid-continent field: from 55 to ST cents in the Illinois field, and from sl.3O to s1.60 in the Penn sylvania fed-those being practically the large fields of production of refinable oil Of course, those increases in the price of crude which benefit the producer of the crude and not either the Standard Ol companies or the independent refining and marketing companies, has resulted in somewhat increased price of the re- fined products, added to which the enor- nous increase in the demand for gaso- line in the United States materially con- tributed."
 The Attorney General declared that this letter, coming from a representative or the companies which were most injurlous- ly affected by the Standard oil combina- ton, affords a very conclusive answer to the superficial condemnation which has been so recklessly indulged in by politi- cal opponents to the administration TlInllnnlI T1Nc0