The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-10-17
Corporation Asks Permission
To Produce Crude Products.
Supreme Court Asked To Mod
ify Custer Case Entry.
SPENDS MILLIONS IN STATE
Company Would Drill and Lay
Many Pipe Lines.
Now 1t Is Permitted To Sell
Only Refined Oils.

Millions of dollars are to be spent
by the Standard Oil company in the
development of the Kansas fields IL
the state supreme court consents to
modification of the journal entry in
the custer case against the so-calied
oil trust Under the journal entry
filed in the case in 1911, the Standard
of Indiana and the Standard of Kansas
are barred from engaging in the busl-
ness of producing and selling crude
petroleum"
That the Standard proposes to fight
for an opportunity to return to active
operations in Kansas was indicated to-
day when Earle w. Evans of Wichita,
attorney general for the company in
Kansas, came to Topeka with an ap-
plict.tion for modification of the writ.
For more than six years the Standard
has been restricted to the manufac-
turing and selling industry. Now 1t
proposes to return to the state with
program for extensive development of
various fields
Nation Needs Oil.
! Government demands for oil in the
war crisis is one of the reasons offered
by Evans in his application for amend
ment to the journal entry. In his ap-
plication to the supreme court, Evans
states that the Standard can operate
in the state in manner that will
mean increased production, employ
ment of large numbers of people and
increased resources and revenues to
the state. This is the first time, the
petition recites, when the Standard
has desired to engage in the produc-
ton of crude oil products.
| Evans told state house reporters to-
| day he was unable to announce the
extent to which the Standard of Kan
sas and Indiana proposed to operate
| in Kansas. you can be pretty sure,
tho, the Standard won't do things on
a halfway scale" said Evans. aside
from that, L don't know what will be
| done"
Action of the Standard in seeking
/ to enter Kansas as a producing conn
pany. tho, is one of the most impor-
tant steps in the oil game in this state
in many months. While Evans did
not outline the plans of definite pur-
poses of the giant Standard COM
panies, there is a general belief in
state house circles that the companies
will seek to share in the enormously
increased production of Butler, Green
wood, Woodson, CowIey and other big
! oil counties.
One Refinery in State.
Just at this time the Standards only
| production in this state is thru the
output of the Neodesha refinery. This
refinery is owned by the Standard of
Kansas, a subsidiary company of the
| present Standard of Indiana. Oil at
the Neodesha refinery, as well as at
| the Sugar Creek refinery lis from in
dependent production. altho the Stand
ard owns both the refineries and the
| pipe lines.
Under the journal entry in the old
custer suit the Standard cannot en-
| gage in the oil business in Kansas as
a producing company. 1t is denied
the right in either producing; or selling
crude petroleum. When the entry
was made in 1911, it was agreed to
and accepted by the Standard offic-
ials They were not at that time do
| ing business here as a producing COM
pany and readily accepted the terms
| of the writ.
Spend Large Sums.
| Enormous production from the
Kansas field, though, has brought the
| Standard to ask for permission to
| engage actively in the producing end
! of the business. New pipe lines ad-
ditional refineries and proba BILE extern
/ sive operation and DEVELOPMENT Of
new fields, are prospects in the effort
/ of the companies to modify the decree
of six years ago.
The journal entry in the custer suit
was made at the end of long drawn
out litigation, beginning during the
/ term of the late G. G. Coleman as at
| torney general The suits were car
ried thru the terms of Fred s. Jack
SON. Final Journal entry was made
/ while John S. Dawson, now an as
| sociate justice of the supreme court.
was attorney general.