Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 151, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 July 1917 — Fighting the Standard Oil [ARTICLE]

Fighting the Standard Oil

A company, under the leadership of Jay W. Stockton, is being formed Io open a gasoline and auto supply station in the former Mark Schroer garage, and while the company is being organized Mr. Stockton, to hold the trade, has been selling gasoline at a profit of one cent a gallon, the wholesale price of the Standard Oil Co. being 20 cents per gallon. Thursday the underground tank and pump belonging to Mr. Schroer was removed and Mr. Stockton made arrangements with the local manager of the Standard for one of the tank wagons, from which the oil is being retailed. On the wagon is a big sign printed in red ink, reading “Gasoline 21 Cents.” About noon today a representative of the Standard Oil Co. appeared on the scene and ordered the sign torn down, which was done, but when Mr. Stockton told him that the wagon was on his own land and ordered the sign replaced, it was put back, and gas is still being retailed from the wagon at a profit of a cent a gallon and Mr. Stockton says that he is in the fight to a finish and that the public will be supplied with gas at a cent a gallon profit no matter what course the Standard pursues. _ The Standard has had service stations in Indiana in many of the towns and cities for the past two or three years, in which they retailed gas at the wholesale price. Lately an order went out abolishing all these stations and the Standard is no longer in the retail business. Gasoline has been retailing here for 23 and 24 cents, while in Remington, where there was a Standard station, is could be bought for 20 cents. The local dealers claim there is no money in gasoline even at these prices, owing to the shrinkage, and claim that they depend for their profits on repair work and supplies. — - The present fight of Mr. Stockton and the powerful Standard Oil Co. will be watched with interest.