The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-26
NO NEED FOR ROCKEFELLER.
HADLEY CONTENT WITH THE W.T.
NESSES HE HAS ALREADY.

Missouri's AttOrney-General Expects TO
Finish Taking Testimony Here In Two
Days-John ID. ArchbOld One OF the
Men Under SubpGna-Trust TO Appeal.
The taking of testimony in the case of
the State Of Missouri against the three big
oil companies which are doing business
there and which are supposed to be merely
branches of the Standard Oil trust will be
resumed this morning at 10 o'clock in the
office of the Law Reporting Company at OF
Wall street. AS the trust attorneys ave
waived their objection to allowing the testi-
mony to be taken in shorthand, for the
present at least, it is expected that the pro-
oeedings will move with muoh greater
celebrity than heretofore.
Acknowledgement Hadley said yesterday
that he believed he could finish taking testi-
mony In New York in two days. He has
not finished with H. H. Rogers yet, and
there are other Standard Oil officials under
subpoena, including John D. Archbold. Mr..
Hadley also has several witnesses of his
wi to examine.
1t is not at all likely that John D.. Rookie
Teller will be reached with a subpoena be-
fore the hearing finally adjourns. Mr..
Hadley does not seem to be so keen to have
him testify now, since the trust has adj
mitted the ownership of stock in the
respondent companies. AS a matter Of faot
Mr.. Hadley said, he did not care particularly
whether or not Mr.. Rockefeller went on
the stand as long as he got the information
sought from those who could talk
officially for the Standard Oil Company.
He had no idea, he said, of putting Mr..
Rockefeller on the stand for sensational
purposes or with a view of annoying or
embarrassing him.
Mr.. Hadley takes a very modest view of
Standard Oil to answer the questions about
stock ownership in the companies doing
business in Missouri.
lam just a lawyer oonductinga lawsuit
he said. "Ihave only done what any lawyer
of ordinary ability would do as Attorney
General Of Missouri. The hearings before
commissioners here and at home have been
conducted on strictly legal lines and I nave
at no time tried to inject sensationalism
into the case.
zone result Of the proceedings thus far
will be, I think, that public officials charged
with the duty of prosecuting corporations
which work in defiance Of the law will no
longer nave any excuse for not proceeding
against them on the ground that while the
| corporations may be carrying on business
in an unla wful manner there is no use of
hauling them up in the courts because they
can't be forced TO testify against them
selves.
"A recent decision Of the United States
Court on this point. as we'll as the decision
in our own case by the Supreme Court Of
Missouri that the oil officials must answer
the questions put to them, shows that
there is no material basis for this excuse.
1t also shows that we have plenty Of laws
now to compel the corporations to toe the
line just the same as private individuals.
The courts now hold that the corpora
ton, as a creature of the State. is subject
to the supervision Of the State. Accord
ingly, the State has a right to inquire if the
business of the corporation is conducted in
a lawful manner, and the officials are COM
PEELED TO answer all proper questions that
are asked with a view to finding out whether
the corporation is 80 conducting its bust
ness"
The Standard Oil attorneys had little
to say Yesterday about the capitulation of
the trust to MIR. Hadley, or rather to the
order of the court which Mr.. Hadley Sc
cured both in this State and in the State of
Missouri. Attention, however, was called
TO the fact that in the answer of Mr.. Rogers,
which was carefully framed by the trust
lawyers, it was stated that the ownership
of stock in the Standard Oil Company Of
Indiana, the Republic Oil Company and
the Waters-Pierce Company was admitted,
subject to the objection of the questions
being irrelevant and immaterial. and for
the purposes of the present case only. This
is taken to mean that an appeal from the
decision Of the Supreme Court of Missouri
is being prepared. The matter is likely to
get into the United States Supreme Court
finally.
Mr.. Hadley said yesterday that his efforts
from now on would be directed to showing
control and management of the three West
ern companies by the Standard Oil trust
from 20 Broadway He had been informed
that diligent search was being made at the
Standard Oil office for the reports and other
documents that he had directed the officials
to produce. He had no doubt that these
records would be produced. In any event,
he had copies Of them which would have to
be admitted in evidence il the originals did
not come to light. These copies are said to
show a pretty close alliance between 20
Broadway and the Offices Of the three re-
spondent companies in Missouri.