The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1914-07-30

LIZ SLl1 : aG--Ls Il. -Oi Dee
U-k-oUn L TIE o. business In6ee,
II has been TIE eo1noa history {
almost eTeIT big o. 1eld
Indignant End alarmed a. tie tst
n Ehich ihres1eoed then. the indepe-c
q; producers APPEALED 70 the stat
for zi1- Ess directed By the goTe,
1or q the state 10 render them All
assistance that Lag II ny poEer. !
preceding Ezs therefore, Immediately
Instituted By ne before the stats
corporation commission, asking the
commission equi-zbly 70 IL the price
Of oil 4 hearing On this petition was
had On May ! After several days
had been spent IN taking evidence
tie piDe Ike companies agreed, pend.
ing the hearing. not 10 c1t the price
u Oh IN Oklahoma until five dsys
notice had BEEN served On the com
mission and On ne. Further action
was postponed until the commission
could collect data and eyidence bear
Ing On the question Of price.
In the meantime, however, the inde-
pendent producers bad gone On record
as opposed 70 the pipe line companies
engaging in production and requested /
ne 10 make an Investigation for the /
purpose Of discovering whether seY-
eral Of them we're not violating the
state laws in doing 50. Such an in
yesugatiOn was at once undertaken
and as 10 the Texas company was
completed in the early part Of June.
On June | received telegram from
Mr. Beatty, general counsel for the
Texas company in which he stated
hat he wished an opportunity Of
being heard before any action was &
aken against his company. To this
reply was sent on the 8th, asking 3
dr Beatty to produce certain books l.
md papers for my examination and n
'hering him an opportunity to lay 0
ny facts before me he might think #
roper. q
Accordingly on June %, Mr. Beatty It
ad a conference with my office in Il
which he made a very frank and full r.
tatement Of the relations existing II
etween the Texas company, the Pro o
ucers OIL company, the Central Pc.
roleum company and the twenty odd
ther corporate defendants in the
eXas company suit
IT was acknowledged that the Texas z.
1mpany controlled the Producers Oil !:
o, the Central Petroleum company ::
nd the other corporate defendants ::
o strong was Mr.. Beaty's statercntl ::
nat a willingness was expressessyol ::
est our whole case upon it. could
OF concur in Mr.. Peaty's opinion, a,
nat the relations existing between o.,
iese companies did not constitute
Olations Of the state laws. On The i,
'ntrary | felt that h!s admissions II
early showed that the dcgendanis "a
ere violating our antitrust laws and on
ting in restraint of trade. 90
To mention but ore fact it was sta. N
d that the output of the producing -,
mpanies, indirectly owned by The
sXas company, was in eAcess Of 49, so
y barrels day. an amount EVIDENT. ico
suffcien. 10 cont-al The market .al
Realizing, however, the great in. 70,
rests at stake and the dangers OF cal
, preclpitate action, offered the inc
icndant the Texas company, an ha,
portunity Of bringing Itself witl.,n dri
law by dis-assocldtlps ITS aaxil- wit
y companies within reasonable no,
ne and paying a fine which, while orf
)stantial, was much less than The wit
Ximum amount ot Jne penalties the
> 'i"u incurred l''S oifer' tie the
Nas company saw fiji TO :eicct in fire
egram which, however said in part hon
At we are willing to promptly sub the
our differences to proper iIdic. tain
tribunal" Thereupcn | answered lac
I l would Immediately h!e suit fam
IN Mr.. Beaty's statement. which sbal
was filed on July 20 him
view of the foregoing facts. r.
not believe any complaint can in q
- oe inaue 'hat 'Ae state has ing
I'd hastily or ar6Itsarily or un. aIIv
'onably in bringing 'hij suit. Dr,ef. qua,
stated, the position of The state prot
nat oy Ns own admissions the bloc
as company owns and controls Cine,
e twenty-odd corporations, all of sign
IN are engaged in the same bus. okee
s and would, therefore, be com. auo,
ng companies except for such per
ership and control. ed q
he state further contends that can't
only has this combination re. n In
I'd in the ownership of real estate ed I,
ne ieAas company public ser cato
ooiporat'oh' III excess OF that by d