Connecticut western news., 1907-09-19
S49O,0OO,OOO PROFITS
Oil Trust Takes Half a Billion From People In Eight Years.
OFFICIALS ABSENTMINDED.

Suit Finds That Dividends Amount
 ing to $3os, ,s5s, ,4oa Have Been Paid
 Out by Monopoly Since 1899.
 New York, Sept. 1S.-In eight years, from 1899 to 1906, the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey cleaned up in profits on the products of its various subsidiary corporations the enormous sum of $49O, ,315, ,934, or more than $61,- COG, ,OOO year. In the same period the oil trust distributed among the share holders $3O8, 8,359, ,4O3. By similar finan- cial processes the assets of the trust increased in the eight years from $2OO,- 191, ,523 to $371, ,664, ,531. The capital stock of the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey, the holding company of the trust, is $98, ,338,3S2
 These amazing figures, which show how the Rockefellers, the Rogerses and the rest have squeezed millions out of the consumers of oil and its byprOducts were obtained from the corporations books on the examination of Clarence G. Fay; assistant comptroller of the trust, by Frank G. Kellogg, chief coun- sel for the government in the proceed ing to dissolve the company, which reached an active stage before Special Examiner Ferriss in the postoffice building.
 The government prober also dug up from the transcripts of the books which are before the court the fact that the Standard oil Company of New Jersey owned 9,990 of the 10000 shares of the Standard Oil Company of Indiana, the company sentenced by Judge Landis last month to pay fine of $29, ,24O, 900 for rebating.
 Prosecutor Shows Joy.
 That interesting information, which has been sought for years, came so easily to the government prosecutor that he was almost taken off his feet, and he showed his elation when he had the figures read into the court rec ord. It was also brought out by Kel- logg that the Standard oil Company of New Jersey controlled the stock of more than seventy companies engaged in the refining of oil and its transpor- tation by pipe lines. Fay, the assist ant comptroller, was the most satis- factory witness the government law yeFs had had on the rack. They said after the hearing they were glad they had come to New York in search of in- formation to aid in breaking up the un- lawful mbination.
 E. C.. Benedict, millionaire banker, and Charles M. Pratt, son of the found CT of the Pratt Oil Works company in Brooklyn. now one of the subsidiary corporations of the trust, were other important witnesses. They gave val uable information, but Kellogg was unable to learn from their testimony anything about the records of the con- mittee that had charge of the liquida- tion of the Standard oil Company of New Jersey Pratt, who Is secretary of the trust, admitted he had been a liQufdating trustee, but he did not know, he said, where the records of that committee were kept In fact, he had only vague recollection of the process of liquidation. Fay, the assist ant comptroller, could not recall any of the facts in connection with the AQuAuAllOu O1 tue COUlpdny.
 Digs Up Facts Despite Bars.
 Kellogg was amazed by the attitude of the witnesses and said that 1t was queer the executive officers of the oil trust could not remember where the records of the liquidating trustees were kept or whether they were now In existence. He succeeded however, in discovering the names of the nine teen subsidiary corporations taken over in 1889 by the liquidating trustees. and the special counsel expects by dint of digging to turn up the whole illegal transaction.
 The hearing in the New York pro ceedings to dissolve the oil trust was ordered to begin two weeks ago. but the trust lawyers obtained an adjourn. ment. Granting the adjournment, Franklin Ferriss, the special examiner sent on from St. Louis to hear the case for the government, said no further adjournment would be granted. John G. Millburn, for the company, an- nounced when the hearing began that he and his associates were ready to proceed.
 He passed up to the special examiner a bundle of papers that were the promised transcripts of the books and records of the oil trust They were ac- cepted by Frank B. Kellogg as counsel for the government conditionally, he reserying the right to have the books brought into court if 1t should be found the' transcripts were not true copies
 A list of securities held by the Standard oil company on Sept IA last, as shown by officers of the company in their statement befoue the court, was shown to c. M. Pratt, and he was asked if he was familiar with the se- curities. He said he was not familiar with them lin detail.' as they had been compiled by MT. Brainard, comp troller of the company, and his assist ant, MT. Fay. Thereupon summons was issued for Fay at once, and he was brought into court.
 The government prober went after Information concerning Brainard and