New Britain herald., 1924-06-25
Atty. Gen. Stone Charges Combination f' Con
 @stD spiracy in Reipr ,,y... ': 7. Trade-All Stanuaru u.- Firms Included.

Washington, June o5.-Fifty or
 more of the principal oil companies
 Of the United States were attacked in antitrust proceedings instituted hy 1 the government today in the federal court at Chicago,
 Attorney General Stone asked an injunction to restrain the companies from luther violations Of the Sher-
 man act which he charged against them.
 The complaint charged a combina-
 tion and conspiracy in restraint Of trade and commerce among the sev- eral states and with foreign nations in
 gasoline, kerosene and other hydro carbone products, generally all petro- leum derivatives,
 All Big Companies
 Nearly all Of the important com panies including all of the Standard companies, were cited The attorney general charged them with having combined to control the production of gasoline by a pooling of asserted pat ent righ,s in violation Of the anti trust act, naming as the primary de- fendants the Stand Oil companies of Indiana, and New Jersey and the Standard Development company. the Texas company and the Gasoline Products company.
 Tho action constituted one of the most sweeping antitrust moves on the part Of the government in many years. Besides the principals, the attorney general named as parties number of secondary defendants" whom he charged were in the combination as a result of accepting licenses from one Tor more of the primary defendants.
 isasas of Complaint
 In substance, the complaint set forth that due to the increased de. mand for gasoline resulting from the great increase in automobiles, manu- . facturers Of gasoline now utilize pro cesses for cracking gasoline which ] increases the yield from given amount of stock by so to loo per cent over old methods of distillation. Al- though disclosures of this process were made in patents issued So years ago and long since expired, it con tinued, the primary defendants have pooled a number Of patents covering improvements and fare seeking 10 eAtort huge sums from the of gasoline in the guise of royalties and by means Of certain restrictive covenants contained in li- cense agreements"
 Companies Named
 Those named as secondary defen- dants' were tn Standard Companies 1f Kansas Kentucky, Louisiana New ork and Ohio, and the Aetna Rcfln- ng company, The American Refining Company, the Beacon oil Company, Inc Clayton Oil and Refining Com aany. Charles r. De Ganahl. Galena- Signal Oil Company Of Texas, Globe 1il and Refining Company: Grays- ,ure Oil Company. Hickock Producing Company, Humble Oil and Refining Company. the Imperial Company, Ltd, Indian Refining Company. In- lustrial Refining Company, Indiaho- Ea Refining Company. Interstate Re- inefies, Elliott Jones and Company ion Oil and Refining Company. Mag iolia Petroleum Company. Miller ' 'etroleum Company, Omaha Refining ] Owl Oil Company. Petro- ' cum Refining Company, Producers c 'ipe Line and Refining Company. lure Oil Company. Root Rehneries. soxana Petroleum Corporation, Sap [ lpa Refining Company. Southern Oil | corporation. Sun Company, Tidal Re q ming Company. Underwater Oil Com g any. United States oil and Refining f company, Utah Oil Refining Com any. Vacuum oil Company. Waite C hillips Company. Waverly Oil Works C ompany and the White Eagle pil and r efnlng Company. tS
 70 Agreements Quoted Ia Seventy license agreements z ere set up by inc government as k ,1dencing the coordination, con-. ,iracy and moHopoly." Tbcse agree ents contained the complaint ar ied. numerous provisions affecting adversely the production, transporta- on and saIe' Of gasoline and other stroleum derivatives in interstate id foreign commerce. N The attorney general contended e effect of the agreements had been
 pool a large number Uf patents and itGta Efat4HtA fhGH3E FE4AEahe VI fIaNbf | in "a long practiced r." He charged further that the -reements tended ''to stop all parties the plan both primary and second- Y from in any manner contesting '' @ validity Of the asserted patent yhts: to burden interstate and for "a zn trade snd commerce in petroleum ', rivatives by Ievying thereon heavy =. arges in the guise Of royalties" Charges that the compa mics also perpetuatiOn Of the plan =. a yond the life of any Of their ex- I ing patents by providing for the .oting of sfter-acquired patents. also .,. sre contained iH the complaint =. lich set forth that The defendants st, nght to restrain many of the Iicen- ws ss in the amount Of gasoline they lst, ght produce by fixing Hmiiation mi,
 production by imposing a grad ai. ted srafs rf ras5a1+Hzs --hf~A -a~4f fl