The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-07-25

territory. Now It has no moro, Il
claims, than so per cent Of 1t.
1t has been obliged, Il claims
within this present year, 20 reduce
prices at some 5000 different com.
petitive points in its territory
\, IT desires to know II these results
can be regarded as indicating the
existence Of any monopoly Of any
gtrikingly effective sort.
+ IT asserts that It has absolutely
no special leanings in business to.
ward any other so-calied Standard
Oil Company, and IL asserts that II
encounters stern daily competition
from large numbers Of oil coin:
panies.
Leases Cracking" Patents.
It maintains that It's patents on
the cracking" Of petroleum for gas
cline are good patents. and useful
and valuable patents. and that It has
every right to lease them out to
ether oil companies In return for the
proposition that those other oil com.
panies win thereupon keep out O
the Indiana company's special inten
sive territory.
II maintains that 1t keeps -itseij
to that territory, not because it dos
not wish to compete with other 50
called Standard Oil Companies, bGi
because all its refineries are located
within that territory and becaus,
also It thinks It more sensible FOL
its statesmen to confine themselves
to cultivating q restricted, definite
area.
The Government charges a fraud
and conspiracy. The Government
maintains that the Indiana com
pany's cracking patents amount
to nothing and are used by the In
diana company only to intimidate
and coefce other companies intc
agreeing to leave the Indiana com
pany alone In its own chosen and
monopolized territory.
The Indiana company claims thai
1t can show that its patents are
extremely useful and valuable.
It claims that 1t can show that II
does not monopolize its chosen terri
tory. It claims that It completes
with all other companies and that
under its new ownership and under
It's new organization 1t IL out for
itself solely and outrighly all the
time.
Conditions Different.
Thus, this suit win develop and
lay bare a situation totally differ
ent from the one which was expos.
ed to the public view at the time
OF the original decree dissolving the
old STANDARD Oil Trust" In the
year 1911.
At that time all the dominating
oil companies In the United States
were held together by q few great
owners in the Standard OH Com
pany Of New Jersey. Those few
great owners owned that company,
and then that company owned di.
rectly all the stock Of all the other
companies.
Now each company IL separate,
and each company has great mul-
titude Of owners; and the final ques-
ton becomes the following:
Have these multitudes of owners,
through their new executives, been
able to conspire as the old one set
Of owners used to conspire?
II. Ii virtually admitted by the
Government that they have not
been able to do it through any
arrangement about prices. This
suit does not charge that there
has been any sort Of price con-
spiracy.
New Sort Of Conspiracy.
The point Of this suit is an al.
legged new sort Of conspiracy. The
point OF It IL the charge that the
Indiana Standard Oil Company and
the New Jersey Standard Oil Com.
pany and the independent" Texas
Company are coercing large num-
bers Of other oil companies into
dividing territory and restricting
output through a use of patents Of
alleged but denied value.
The issue ID new. 1t brings for
ward new accusations In an age OF
new conditions. It virtually adj
mits that the old centralized owner.
ship has gone. II virtually admits
that there has been q new advance
toward competition. It then de.
mands that there shall be a still
further advance.
The sum Of It is this:
Conspiracy by common owner
ship Of stock having been DESTROYED,
the Government now sets out to
crusade against the possibility az
conspiracy through the common
ownership or common use az
patented inventions.
(cepVEighf. 1894. b. curBunt News
HNMfuT1N Nnol