WAR AGAINST TRUSTS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 406, 15 January 1909, Page 5

WAR AGAINST TRUSTS.

. . \- $__ — ■■ ... - ; THE STANDARD OIL. A London cablegram o£ December 24 stated'that-the'Supreme'Court of Missoun has ousted the subsidiary companies of the Standard ,Oil Company oi America from the; State. -It has dissolved, the Waters .Pierce' Oil and Saint Louis Companies; and has fined each company 50,000 dols. (£1U,000). ; ' ■■' Mr. Jonn D. H-ockefeller, in testifying re-, contly before the Inquiry Commission at New. York, gave some account of the origin and 'methods of the' Standard Oil Trust.. lie u,; (writes the correspondent of the London; "Daily Telegraph") how his' combination,' which' , had not then become the Oil Trust,' reached but its tentacles for more and more of the refineries' of its rivals, and fattened on them for ten years, or more, till it bocame strong, enough to change into, what became the Standard Oil Company-of Ohio. That was the. first trust organised in the history of American commerce; Between'lß72 and 1882 the Rockefeller combine bought and Bought'its rivals, andwben it was strong enough it organised them all in the famous trust. Mr. Rockefeller said that the obmpany was constantly reaching' out for more refineries and more markets. It.bought refineries to get them out of compeititon,: and to get their business. That is the way Mr. H. H. Rogers and Mr. John D, Archbold went into the company. They were bought up. Both were strong, brilliant, and bold. The Rockefeller combine had to get them put of the way;' It absorbed;their rival concerns and themat' the.same time. 'Hewent on to say' that Mr; Rogers, the' most prominent, figure in the active business of the Oil Trust; since its creator retired to the golf links/was '.'acquired" with \ Charles- Pratt and Co;v of: Brooklyn. He was Mr. Pratt's partner. They had a great trade in ; 'astral-oil; Mr.. Rockefeller wanted the trade, the .plant, and' Mr. Rogers,, whose brains he appreciated.. They were absorbed.-' .. ".. ■''..-.■ "_:■.. ■" Mr". Arohbold was a partner in Porter, Merlin; and , Co., of Titusville, Pa. This concern, with Bennett, Warner, and' Co., had three big refineries; and were dangerous rivals. They; also had.Mr. Archbold, .whom Mr. Rockefeller has described iii his memoirs, as-a bold and brilliant young man >he.n.they first., met. Pratt and Co. were : absorbed in 1874,' and. Porter ' Merlin, and Co. were bought rip 'in, 1875; tie.cost was heavy.-Witness did not state' how. much "the Archbold companies cost, but 'he said the value of the properties'owned by •Pratt and Co., of-Philadelphia,'was £600,000. However, in acquiring them, the growing oil combination obtained possession of: two of the greatest men who have appeared in the com-, i ■mercial history of.the country.' ■■■< -.'"■' .-■<■'• , The tentacles of the growing trust first caught the Long Island Refining'Compahy;-of i'Long Island. The, Devoe Can-Company,'which made the kind -of cans v the : Rockefellers .wanted for .their oil, was absorbed;. They; reduced the price of the , cansfrom -10s. to 25.. The" Imperial' Refining Company, of■ Oil City, was, gobbled up;; Chess, Carley, and Co.,'of Louisville, .followed. ;Then the Rogers and Archbold /concerns and .'the Warde'nfrewe; Company fell- .vicitms :tq.-tbe..determined policy.'; V: ■■■:• '. ■■ .■■ ;--V.•:!:.;•'..': '■■■. !- : :_' >■■ '_■'-■.;'.; :?\ 1 The great mind behind the combination saw beyond. Mr. Rockefeller snapped up :;the. American Lubricating Company, and, once in that field,'he -looked around for more lubricatingcompanies, and before his rivals : appreciated what had been.done his combine ■controlled most of these.concerns that had; done business between. 1870, and '1880.- ; ' '-';'■':.": -. '■'■ It.wasvW amazing story, of. the gradual and' continuous development of; contracts and agreements . with all .sorts, and classes.of men, ;,ranging from a small- trader to a big railway, company. ; "i Mr.'. Rockefeller .denied that thero'had .been-.anything'which.-'savoured. of illegitimacy in.any: of the transactions'attending vth'e-'.formation .and extension of the Standard Oil.' . ;.;,'' '•.'.':.":' ■■> ''■■;• .■ ••':'. Suddenly, ', and without • any - introductipn; Mr....Milburn':interpolated; this , vital 'question:— '..<.,'. ;■■ ' ":; !: '.' i; V..':;.: : :'.'' '■,!■'''.:'.',\ : '.■ '.'.' "Ndw',;Mr. Rockefeller,.is .there any truth in the suggestions ; that .you 'spent much of your' energy ; in crushing out. and .crippling legitimate competition?!'..' ■■■:.■;.. .■';,■■.--:. - ''••■ ■ }iv. Rockefeller, leaned and :declaisd,;. in the -loudest .emphatic atones, "It is 'untrue. ..It '■; ~. 1 ., : , .- ■ ' the Ojl.King desc^ibe6( : wliat he called. |Jttie;.supenor.industrial:;methods 'of'the; con-, 'cern, how tlie 'oest men,;tuo,hest machinery, the best organisation, and the oest equipment' were employed, .^he : abseniie 'qf : waste,' etc.. ';. . "When. oirwas,-found, ,, .:'he:'said,'. "wo 'arranged that men.should be on the spot.day and night, so" that noVa drop' was" wasted. It. has been the delight and hobby of mylifo to build up . prfedt storage tanks'. iY-I< declare," he said,■ "that bur';company's.''presence.has been-a godsend to the regions oil is found."- ■' •:-:.;,.. ;' : ■ ■.'■".■'■;■-.■"■.■'■'