Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-22
Standard Oil Company Believed
to Have a BombsheII.
MAY HAVE BEEN DISSOLVED
Possible Explanation of the Weak De-
tense Made by the Lawyers.
INDIVIDUALS NOW HOLD STOCK
Radical Reorganization After the
) Great Northern Securities Decl-
sion Was Made.

NEW YORK. December 22.-lt is declared
on the best authority that the Standard
Oil Trust has prepared bombshell 1or
the government lawyers who will start
the case to dissolve the greatest corpora
ton on earth next January at st. Louis
The company's attorneys will show that
practically the trust has been dissolved in
so far as it is in conflict with the federal
law. They will present evidence. it is said
to prove that the Standard Oil Company
of New Jersey, the great holding company
for the Standard interests, has virtually
given up all stock of constituent concerns
These facts which became known coinci-
dent with the surrender of the trust in the
cases against it by Attorney General Had
ley of Missouri have, it is said. thrown
new light upon the reasons of the trust for
showing the white feather before the fight
ing Missouri official.
The principal cas- of the government
to come up at St Louis is for the disco
luton of the New Jersey corporation, which
for many years owned a majority. II not
practically all. of the stock of the ten
great selling, refining and distributing COM
panies of the Standard Oil. the concerns
which came in contact with the public.
Radical Transformation.
This method of conducting a monopoly
by a holding company-was declared illegal
by the Supreme Court of the United States
in the famous Northern Securities case.
1t is now learned that shortly after that
decision the whole scheme of the Standard
Oil trust organization underwent a grad
ual, but radical. transformation. Stock of
constituent companies which had been in
the name of the Standard of New Jersey
is now, it is declared. held in the names of
Northumberland officials of the concern,
and in some cases in the names of mere
clerks.
What answers the attorneys for the gov
eminent will make to this new contention
of the trust is not yet known. The case
is in the hands of Frank A. Kellogg of
Minneapolis and j. r. Morrison of Chicago,
who have been employed by. the Attorney
General of the United States to conduct
the prosecution. 1t is known that these
lawyers are familiar with the situation,
but they have not outlined their plans
The bill filed against the New Jersey
company by the federal government alleges
that the concern holds the stock of seventy
two distinct corporations which practically
control the oil business of the country.
This it is declared, is in restraint of trade,
and therefore falls under the laws by which
the Northern Securities Company was dis
solved. But when the government is con-
fronted by the fact that most of the stock
of these companies is now held by private
individuals the case will assume remark
able aspect.
Hadley's Great Work.
1t is due to the tremendous efforts of At
torney General Hadiey that this new phase
of Standard Oil has come out. He has the
sworn statements of high officials O.: the
Standard to show that all of the stock of
three big selling compa MES is now held by
individuals. Years ago it was admitted by
Standard Oil men that one of these con-
Germs was owned by the Standard Oil Com
pany of New Jersey.
These three companies are the Standard
Oil Company of Indiana, the Waters-Pierce
Oil Company and the Republic Oil Com
pany 1t is the Standard of Indiana whose
stock held by the Standard of
New Jersey. The Republic stock and that
of the Waters-Pierce concern were acquired
by the trust after the new method of or
ganization had been decided on. These
three concerns control most of the oil bust
ness ives. of the Allegheny mountains-all
the way to the Rockies and between the
Canadian boundary line and Central Ameri-
ca. They do millions of dollars worth of
business each year
The other great selling concerns of the
trust are said to be the Standard of Cali
fornia. the Continental, the Standard OF
Kansas, the Standard of New York, the
Atlantic Refining Company. the Dominion
| Company of Canada and the New Jersey
corporation. The stock of most of these
concerns, 1t has been declared, was orig
inally owned by the Standard of New
| Jersey.
Il am satisfied from the evidence al
ready brought out that the government
! will find when its case shall come up that
| most of the stock of most of these con-
Germs is now in the hands of individuals "
| said an official who has closely followed
the evidence adduced by Attorney General
| Hadley.
Holders of Standard of Indiana.
The stock of the standard of Indiana
| originally owned by the Standard of New
Jersey, is now, according to a report tc
the secretary of state of Michigan. held
as follows:
John d. Archbold, 1901 shares: F. O
Barstow. 1901; w. P. Cowan, 1; J. A
Moffett. 1,4S5; C. NJ Pratt 1,7O1; H II
Rogers, 2,001; George w. Stahl 3; w. III
! Telford. 2.001: E. T. Bedford, /; Waite,
Jennings, 1, and estate of George NJ Rice
| fraction of a share.
| Most of these men are high officials o.
| the Standard Oil Trust They are the bis
| men who, with the Rockefelers, manage
the enormous oil business of America a ne
| large part of the world.
The stock of the Waters-Pierce Com
pany, 1000 shares, is now largely in TIL,
hands of NJ M: Van Buren,. He hold.
| held in trust by II. Clay Pierce, one of tn,
founders of the concern.
The stock of the Republic Company is il
the hands of men who hold places in tn,
Standard employ a little above chief clerks
1t is distributed as follows Frank Wilson
| 5000 shares; c. l.. Nichols, assistant Il
Mr.. Jennings and president of the concern
| $50 shares; w. +. Judd, the general man
ager of the concern, $50 shares: ]. r. Tay
lar the secretary-treasurer, 200 shares
May Be Last Hearing.
What promises to be the last hearing il
the suit brought by Mr.. Hadley to dissolv,
the trust in Missouri is to be held in tn,
| Southern Hotel, st. Louis, on January Z
This announcement was made today b,
Judge ]. d. Johnson, general attorney fo
| the Waters-Pierce Company at the Wal
dorf- Astoria, before he left for st. Louis
After the testimony that has been takel
| before Commissioner Robert A. Anthem,
has been reviewed by him 1t will be trans
| mitted to the supreme court of that stat,
| for final adjudication.