The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-04-28

Washington. April 2%.-DomIna-
tisq ef the gssolins industry by stand
+ asd sil intsrssts. the federal trade
ep1wisnion reported 70 the ssnats To-
1a1, 1As bssn largely responsible for
high sasolins prices OF the last two
yeaxA ~ ID
xhs report declares intsrlocking
lAoeh swnsrship prevents any, real
upnpstition Of the various Standard
o. enpaniss and the commission
], Sopomnsnds lsgisiation to permit re-
qOoelne of the on trust case to obtain
- 1tneations Of the supreme courts
Gne)utisn dscrss.
d Ne eeaulusivs evidsscs was found,
= = statsd. that collusion exists
onDsne he Standard companies In vio-
1a91oA q the decree. but the commits
61nn;e, nndinss have been transmitted
y -. ~ attorney general.
IT, Are declared TO have been
. r1otp1 arbitrarily. although natural
!. ead1og eentributsd. Pronounced price
opoo9alitiss were found In different
I Oof(e e ne country.
~ pstneipal nndings Of the CON-
cn1qnDeq ne:
+, 3Aht mosG marketing territories
~ olan>--Asd companies are dominant.
4&A& The Standard companies have
xaaintainsd . dhtribut,on Of territory
- nasksting gasoline. and that no
onoueaAtial competition In the chief
sDo1Eolsun products exists among the
, oeAn6erd oompsniss.
h nat the abasncs Of competition II
due 70 . community Of stock owner
ehip.
That the facts disclose advances in
prics9 oe gasoline and differences In
pesces csrrssponding to Standard
uArkstins territories. which could
nst Be explained except under condi.
ttens charged.
mat the combination Of pipe lines
Win other branches Of the industry
has tended 20 establish and perpetuate
monopoly.
That there In no conclusive evil
dsncs Of collusion among the Stand
Ard companies In violation OF the dis
solution decree. ~
4 The commission recommended
tesees measures a. necessary to rem
edy conditions:
a law providing for the reopening
ef anti-trust cases on the application
Of The attorney general by q bill of re-
view for the purpose Of obtaining such
modlcAtions Of DEGREES as are re-
euired by new conditions.
IAgialation to abolish In certain
easss common stock ownership In cor
porstions formerly members of combi-
nations dissolved under the Sherman
yaw.
D6sctivs limitation Of common
swnsrship Of stock in potential COM
pstftivs corporations by Withdrawing
The power Of voting and control.
Legislation which while recogniz-
ing the common ownership, would fix
upon such common owners the re-
eponsibility for the acts Of each of
the several subsidiary companies
which prevent competition.
f SEGREGATION Of ownership Of pipe
hnss from other branches Of the pc
trolsum industry.
Congressional enactment to flx
standards for gasoline.
Federal collection and publication
Of accurate statistics and informatio
concerning the industry.
Conditions In the gasoline industry
90 uncovered by the investigation are
declared to be: Gasoline marketinr
ID. divided into eleven territorial di-
visions. st least nine Of which are
said to be under Standard OIL doml-
nation.
Stockholders Of the Standard com
peniss to q great degree are the same
individuals or interests. with more
than half Of the stock Of the various
companies in their hands.
Leadiag officers Of the Standard
companies hold considerable stock In
two or more companies.
standard OIL refneries produced
more than sixty per cent. Of the gaso-
line output In 1915. sold about s5 per
cent, Of the total marketed and held
more than seventy per cent. of gas
cline stocks.
Correspondence OF the different
prices In 1915 with Standard market
Ing tsrritories." says the report. ''itseif