The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-10-25
TRUST BUSTING" AS A BOON ID PEOPLE Independents Rejoice at the
 Soaring Prices WICKERSHAM IS GLAD Says the Government Dissolution Suits Have Accomplished All
 That Had Been Expected
 of Them
WICKERSHAM IS GLAD
By c. E. STEWART

1 By c. E. STEWART 1 Washington, October 2-(Special )-If there are skeptical persons in this country | knockers so to speak-and there are such persons we invite them to listen to | this Persons who have been prone to make sneering remarks concerning cer- tain trust busting" proclivities of the ad- ministration. who derided the efforts of the chief buster" Attorney General Wickersham, who have rudely observed that the governments suit dissolving the Standard oil acted as the medium of a derrick to elevate the price of that con- cern's stock; such persons have spoken hastily and it is quite evident have only faint conception of what has been ac- compished.
 l Attorney General Wickersham, to sus- tain his contention that the decree dis- solving the Standard Oil gave the relief sought by the antitrust suit against the corporation issued a statement revealing some of the results of the inquiry he has been making into conditions in the oil in dustry
 l The statement, intended as further re- ply to criticisms that such decrees as that in the Standard oil case benefited the trusts, was built around q letter, optimistic as to present conditions, which the Attorney General recently received from c. D. Chamberlain, secretary and general counsel of the National Petrol cum association. The organization is composed of large number of independ- ent refining companies, embracing, ac- I1 tically all the companies not connected with the Standard oil.
 The Attorney General gavo out with his statement a copy of letter from MT. Chamberlain. who wrote that while the full effect of the decree cannot yet be judged. independents today have more unrestricted and uncontrolled opportunity to carry on their business without un- fair, secret and oppressive competition on the part of one great rival than they have enjoyed for years past" With this opportunity and assurance of It's permanence he added, growing com petition will benefit the public and monopoly of the business will be impos- sible. Mir. Chamberlain wrote that as a result of the decree there had been a
 
 benefiting 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.
 Since the decree of dissolution the price of crude oil has advanced from A cents to 70 cents per barrel in the mid continent field; from 55 cents to s7 cents in the Illinois field, and from sl 30 to SIG in the Pennsylvania field, those being practically the large fields for the produc- tion of refined oil. Of course these in- creased prices in crude oil have resulted in somewhat advanced price of refined products, added to which the big demand for gasoline in the United States ma terially contributed"
 We'll the ultimate consumer will prob ably want to know what is the answe"?" If the Standard oil companys stock ma terially advances right on the heels of the dissolution decision. and it becomes apparent from this that the Standard Oil company is not hurt in the transaction or It's business materially affected, other wise it's stock would not go up in leaps and bounds, then the independent com panies declare that they are benefited thereby, and there has been enormous advanc in crude oil, and naturally the refined product. advances ranging from 20 to GO per cent. The Attorney Gen eral Is satisfied with the result and de-
 
 accomplished all that was desired'' then certainly the plain people ought to have no kick coming. It Is true that gasoline has gone up But then predatory wealth Is the biggest user of gasoline in automo- piles. Refined oil has gone up and other products of the oil companies. and the, people have to pay more for what they consume, but then the trust is busted.'. and if we bust the trusts we must pay the freight.
 But if this Is going to be the answer" in all trust busting suits which are suc- cessful as this has been. probably 1t would be best not to bust any more this | season. One or two a year is about all of this kind of extravaganza that the ult- mate consumers could stand.
 Beef steaks are high now, but imagine what they would be if the government were to be successful in their suit against the beef trust? It takes weeks salary | to wander into a careless cafe and toy with a tenderloin steak now but If the government was to win its suit against the beef trust if we are to follow prece- dent in the matter, porterhouse steaks would be rare in the future, very rare, and as expensive sealsl<in wraps. l One more successful suit against some prominent trust and there will be a howl go up from the ultimate consumer which can be heard in Hong-Kong. Petitions would pour in on Congress asking for more trusts and cheaper living. Is it pos l sible that our politicians have got this l thing doped out wrong? Certainly the busting of the Standard Oil seems | to indicate such thing This political economy thing becomes more vexng and problematical every day we live. Wood- row Wilson has been a professor, it may be that he can find the solution. |