Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 37, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 March 1905 — KANSAS FIGHTING OIL. TRUST. [ARTICLE]

KANSAS FIGHTING OIL. TRUST.

Whole State Aroused in. Effort to Shake Off Monopoly’ll Grip. Kansas has set out to iightthe country’s most powerful trust —Standard Oil. Under the leadership. of a determined Governor, it is demanding of the Legislature that appropriations be made in aid of the planihy which the Rockefeller interests are to be made to feel that they are not all powerful. Should Kansas be successful, similar results might follow in other States. Ever a leader in public policies—and sometimes in public follies—the latest venture of the Kansas statesmen will be watched everywhere with interest. Throughout this State it has aroused much enthusiasm. The Moses of this crusade is Gov. E. A. Hoch, a country editor With ideals Who was elected to the governorship in November. He begaifthe fight between the State of Kansas and the Standard Oil Compahy when he advised in a message to the Legislature immediately after his inauguration that a State refinery be established. He declared that the trust was getting an evil grip upon the State and that it was not dealing fairly with the producers of oil. Newspapers have charged that bribery on a large scale has been attempted and a committee was appointed to investigate, whereupon there was a wholesale exodus of lobbyists from Topeka. Acting upon the Governor's advice, a bill establishing a State' oil refinery at a cost of $400,000 has been introduced in the Legislature. Other measures aimed at the Standard Oil Gompany are a bill to make pipe lines common carriers and compelling them to deliver the product of any producer to any consignee who may have a place of business near the line: a bill fixing a maximum freight rate of 5 cents a barrel on crude and refined oil from points in the field to the large manufacturing centers of the State, and a bill prohibiting discrimination between different localities or consumers in different parts of the State on the prices of any commodity sold by any company or corporation. 'The latter measure is especially'designed to prevent the Standard from selling oil cheap in one part of the State and increasing its price in localities where it has absolute control of the situation. The trust instituted, a boycott. It declared'that because of unfriendly legislation it would purchase no more Kansas oil. The effect of this is to close the oil industry of the State, throwing out of work about 1.000 men. “The closing of the plants and shutting down of the pipe lines,’” says a Standard Gil magnate, “will let the legislators and people see what adverse legislation would do to tire industries of the State and will probably create a sentiment among the people in favor of tlie State abandoning the plan of entering the oil business," In this conclusion he is in error. The effect has rather been to arouse the State to the power of tire trust and make it more determined to rid itself thereof. The farmers of the State are urging the Legislature to build the refinery and hundreds of them are'purchasing oil stock. The leaders of the anti-trust, fight are confident that with fire establishment of a State refinery, which will free the State from the shackles of - tire monopoly, a great impetus will be given tn the industry, that thousands of men. not now employed in oil production* will be given work in this field and that Kansas will rival Ohio and Pennsylvania as a producer.