Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1916-02-16


man with a splendid record as a con-
scientious, careful attorney who knows
his business. The great interest in
the rising price of gasoline should
make the statement OF interest in
spite OF its length. Read IT'D
The dissolution OF the Standard Oil
company is the greatest legal and &C.
OnOmic blunder Of modern times.
It is commonly asserted that the
trust is dissolved" Nothing but a
device" was destroyed. The trust
still flOurishes.
John ID. Rockefeller and his assO-
ciates had a stranglehOld on the oil
industry of the country. Their grasp
was not weakened but strengthened
by this remarkable decree.
The Independent oil interests and
the country at large would have been
better served if the great octopus had
been let alone, for the Standard Oil
company under this vicious decree now
has practically all the advantages of
combination and concentration with
few OF its attending disadvantages.
The subsidiary companies of the Stan
dard Oil company for all practical
purposes are an entity and yet for
purposes of regulation and control
they are each separate and distinct
units. The common ownership Of the
stock in the Standard subsidiaries
gives them a cohesion as great as that
which existed prior to the dissolu-
ton decree; yet, how can the nation
ask uniformity Of conduct on the part
Of the Standard subsidiaries when the
provisions of the dissolution decree
forbid those very companies from
making express or implied agree
ments in relation to common prices?
Aside from the veXation arising
from being harassed by an avalanche
of meaningless litigation, the legal
battles through which the Standard
Oil company has passed, and in which
the public has attempted to break up
the wonderful conference of that vast
organization, must be a source of pro-
found amusement to those master
minds which have guided the destin-
les of the great octopus.
AS a direct result of the dissolution
decree, financial ruin faces the seven
ty-five jobbers who are the members
of our association and who do bust
ness in the states dominated by the
Standard Oil company of Indiana. APP
proximately one-third of the motor
cars in the United States are in the
few states comprising that territory.
Last March II was announced with a
good deal of gustO by the powers that
be that the Standard Oil company of
Indiana was going to teach the indie
pendent jObbers Of the middle west a
lesson. And since that time the fight
has been growing in intensity and in
bitterness. Unless the consumer and
the government stand by the indepen-
dent interests it will be but a short
time until the Standard of Indiana
will be in absolute control of this, the
richest field of consumption in the
world.
Consider a few practical figures in
relation to gasoline prices. On Jan.
1, 1915 the tank wagon market price
of gasoline to garages in New York
City fixed by the Standard oil COM
pany of New York was lie per gallon.
On the same date the price of gasoline
in Southern Iowa, fixed by the Stan
dard Oil company of Indiana was 100
cents per gallon delivered to the con-
sumner, or a difference of IA cents per
gallon between New York City and
Southern Iowa.
During the latter part of December.
1915, the price of gasoline in New York
City was 81 cents per gallon while the
price in Southern Iowa was 1876 cents
per gallon, or a difference between the
two points of 5.4 cents per gallon
Consider the facts. One year ago a
difference between the east and the
west of Is cents per gallon; today, a
difference of "a cents per gallon.
Consider a few more facts The
price of gasoline in New York City re-
manned II cents per gallon from the
first day of January, 1915, until the
first day of August, 1915. Throughout
the entire east prices remained con
slant with few exceptions, or advanc-
ed Yet what happened in the West?
Taking the same typical middle west
points, we find that on Feb Is, 1915,
the Standard of Indiana reduced it's
price 1 cent per gallon to all con
sumers taking 100 gallons or more of
gasoline. In view of the fact that the
price in New York was that made to
garages, it is only fair to say that on
Feb. Is, the difference between the
east and the west was "a cents.
On the tenth day of June, 1915, the
Standard of Indiana dropped its price
another cent to Sc cents per gallon in
the west, or a difference between the
west and east.
On the first day of September the
price in New York City was 10 cents
while at the western points referred
to it was SO cents in 100-gallon lots,
or a difference of 5.4 cents per gallon
and today we have the same difference
in price, namely, "a cents per gallon.
a year ago it was IA cents per gal
lon, and thereby hangs a tale.