The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1900-08-02
WILL SOON OWN NATION
Standard Oil Company Reinvests
$50, 900, 900 Yearly.
A GRAVE AMI FEARFUL MENACE.

In Four Years the Trusts Holdings
Of Paying Property Have Increased
$4,000 Per Cent-Reckefeller New
owns Iron Mines, Railroads, Steam
ers, Copper Mines and Banks.
The Standard Oil company was or
ganized In 1870 with a capital Of ST.
100000. 1t has just distributed a quar-
terly dividend In cash and scrip Of
$23, 100000. But even II we admit
that the last dividend IL exceptional
the actual returns for nine months
show that the Standard OIL profts
for the current fiscal year can hardly
fall below $6O,OOO,OOO. There was
dividend three months ago of $4,000
900 and one three months before that
Of 100000.
The United States government was
organized under the constitution In
170S Its total gross income-not prof
its-was less than $52, 100000 as late
az 1862. when 1t was .73 years old. The
net profits of the Standard Oil COM
pany are greater now than the gross
Income of the United States govern
ment was at more than twice its age. :.
In the four years 1896, 1897, 1898
and 1899 the profits Of the Standard
Oil company amounted to 1927, 00O,-
600. In the same four years the in
come of the United States govern
ment ran behind its expenses to the
amount of $17O,414, 3O727. Is not Mr.
Rockefeller already a "biger man"
than old Uncle Sam7
The Standard Oil company, which
80 years ago was worth $1,000, 900
at the outside, Is worth now, on the
basis of the market quotations, about
500, 100000. an increase of $4,000 per
cent AS an income producing prop
erty 1t Is worth twice that
In the same length Of time the aggre-
gate. wealth of the United States has
increased from $3O,O6S, 51S,5O7 to about
500, 900, OO0,OOO or about 23O per cent.
How long will 1t take for $1,000 per
cent to overtake $50 per cent? Work
out the. problem and you will know
how soon Mr.. Rockefeller and his part
ners will own the United States.
You will not put the date quite early
enough, however, for these figures dc
not show the full extent of the growth
of the Rockefeller monopoly. In the
first place, the Standard OIL company Ii
making money faster than 1t ever die
before. 1t Is going ahead with acceler
ated velocity. In the next place. the oil
business Is altogether too small to fur
nish opportunities for the Investment
Of all the wealth that is pouring IL
upon the magnates of the Rockefeller
group. They are reaching out for thu
control of every branch Of industry
, They employ $4,000 men in STANDARD
Oil alone-a larger army than the Unit
ed States had before the war witt
Spain-but that Is only a detail.
, They own the greatest iron mines IL
the world carry their ore to the lake.
on their own railroad, and thence t,
market on their own steamers. The.
, have enormous fleets of freighters OF
lakes and ocean. They are heavily in
terested in the great passenger ships o
the International Navigation company
They come near to controlling the cop
. per supply of the world. They owl
coal mines, railroads and gas works al
7 over the country. They have shar
In the new salt trust. They have i'm
mense interests In street railroads
They are building up colossal bank
8 and controlling the money supply.
y With from $oO.OOO,O0O to 100000 O
to invest every year In income produ
ing property which makes the revenu
d still larger the next year, what ca
r. keep the Standard Oil company frol
owning the United States? Nothir
% but another trust too rich to be bOugl
e and too strong to be crushed or legisl
# ton to keep the concentration
wealth within bounds. There are I
IS Indications of the appearance Of IL
). former antidote, and the people wi
=, have TO get to work without mue
= more delay II they wish to be In tin
n