The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-09-21
TRUTH WRUNG
FROM STANDARD
BY KELLOGG
Five Chiefs of Oil Trust
May Soon Be
Called.

NEW YORK, sept 21.-John D.
Rockefeller and mis- I'VE great Standard
oil chiefs probably will be summoned as
witnesses in the hearing being con-
Quoted in Kew York IN the Government
suit to dissolve th= Standard oil Com
tpany Of New Jersey, filed in the United
Estates court at ST. Louis.
More subpoenas certainly will be is
= sued, Il vas said today at the Of1Cn
of Frank =. Kellogg. counsel for the
Government The reply TO the ques-
ton as to who would be summoned was;
Those who thus far have not been
called are John d. Rockefeller. William
Rockefeller, Jonn D. Archbold, Henry
H Rogers. Henry VI. Flagler, and Oliver
II. Payne"
Hope to Show Disobedience Of Decree.
The Government inquiry will continue
Monday into the conduct OF the con-
Germs affairs during the period Of liqui-
dalton which extended through eight
sears after the order of the supreme
court of Ohio. IN 1892, declaring the trust
agreement void. The Federal agents be-
,lieve they will show beyond question
that during those eight years the trust
was in operation just as before.
TIE first week of the hearing has been
far more productive than had been
hoped fo- by Mr.. kellogg. He has
forced the Standard officials 10 admit
for the first time absolute ownership OF
Subsidiary companies. the systematic
larceiinc out or tine business, the mo-
nOpoly Of the export oil trade, the
imetAOds Of making surface changes 70
satisfy court rulings, when -he real sys-
tom was unchanged, the annual profits
OF subsidiary companies, the main
Tea lures in the history of the business
since rs beginning.
Standard OILS Cl,i =.
They navc proved nothing yet that
we die not give them said John g.
MilbUrn. of Standard Oil counsel.
This statement was offset by the Fed
eral authorities explanation that each
single bit Of Information given" by the
company was produced in answer TO a
subpoena calling for it specially II it
had not been produced. the Government
could have sent its agents to 26 Broad
way and obtained #.
10 spite of the Standard attorneys an
noVaC euent that IL was their policy 10
tell everything freely. the witnesses
thus far have been hostile and have
avoided every request for Information.
Witnesses With Bad Memories.
Commodore f c. Benedict the first
witness. wao sold out the Manhattan
OH Company, could not even remember
u whom he sold ii.
Treasurer Wesley H Tlford. who has
been in the business for nearly forty
years. had very little idea what was
SONG on around him. according 10 his
answers. and was afflicted with a poor
memory. At times. however, he talked
right OUT when cornered. and it was
from him that Kellogg got most OF his
Information.
Kehogg's object is 10 nave the subsi-
dairy companies all separated and oper-
atted as separate concerns. SO that any
one may 90 into the oil business. To
show the value OF competition, as we'll
as the trusts methods. he has prepared
map OF the United States showing oil
prices IN various States in December
1898, as a typical tine.
In Colorado. where there Is no COM
petition, the Standard charged 1872 cents
while in Ohio the price was SIS cents:
IN Pennsylvania 81 cents. and In Con-
recdcut 50. Other States show prices
varying between the rates IN Colorado
and Ohio. according to the amount OF
competition.
The rates were estimated with freight
charges subtracted. so as to give a fair
comparison.