The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-08-25
A BUSTED" TRUST.

Trust busting which was so popu-
lar pastime with politicians and law
makers a few years ago appears to
Rave been thrown into the discard.
When one looks at the results of the
attack on the Standard Oil corporation
this is not surprising.
When the department of justice
felled the Standard tree, it failed to
dig up the roots and around the old
stump has grown up a clump of as
thrifty saplings as one could hope to
see.
While the Standard Oil Company of
New Jersey practically embraced the
entire Standard Oil business of the
United States up to May Is, 1911, a
Standard Oil Compuny is now doing
BUSINESS. Independently and flourish
irgly, in each of many other states
The combined business and profits of
these companies, are far in excess of
the business and profits of the Stan
dard Oil trust, which the supreme
court of the United States declared
illegal and ordered dissolved under the
Sherman antitrust law. Moreover,
they are separately and collectively
charging more for their wares than
was charged by the trust before it's
dissolution. The same people who
were in the trust, officers. directors
and shareholders, in the main, are to
\ he found now in the separate, distinct
and Independent state organizations.
The only apparent difference the dis
solution made to them was that it in
creased their facilities for drawing
dividends.
A very pretty competition has grown
up among the different state STAN
dard Oil companies. Each company
has its separate departments which,
by courtesy. are also organized as
companies and given euphonious
names. Thus the Ohio company is di-
vided into three principal companies,
one for producing, another for refin-
ing and another for selling. They trade
with one another and make profits
from one another, and divide with
one another.
The report cf the Standard Oil Com
pany of Ohio for the present quarter.
like the reports of the other Standard
Oil companies, shows that, while the
supply of oil is falling off, for public
ity purposes, the production of oil.
for business purl oses, is constantly in
creasing. So favorable has the bust
less of the Ohio company been that
it is able to distribute 100 per cent
stock dividend as of the 31st of July,
increasing its stock from $780, 900
TO 100000. It's development, since
the dissolution of the original Stan
dard Oil trust, has been very rapid
its Cleveland refinery IS now making
$4,000 gallons of gasoline daily; its
storage and marketing facilities have
been doubled; it is hoping to keep
from 100000 to 1O,0OO.0oO gallons
CT gasoline constantly on hand here
after. After making a profit on pro-
Guction of oil, and a profit on refin-
ing, it makes a clear profit of cents
a gallon on the sale of gasoline. This
it is pleased to regard as fair. In 1915
this company sold $4,000. 900 gallons
. or gasoline. 1t controls about so per
cent of the oit business of Ohio.
) All this is interesting. as it must be
encouraging. to the shareholders in
the various Standard Oil companies
says the Christian Science Monitor
but it does not explain why the price
5 of gasoline should advance with the
prosperity of the producing. refining
= and selling corporations. The claim