The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-28
Testimony in Government Suit Brings Out Important
 Facts
BIG SAFE MYSTER|OUSLY
 DISAPPEARS FROM OFFICE
Charles White, Assistant Secretary of the Standard Oil Company, Tells Story of Two Safes, One of
 Which Was Carried Off.

New York September 27.--Frank B. Kei- logg, conducting the suit of the United States for the dissolution of the Stand ard oil company of New York. made another hunt today for a trail to the long sought books of the Standard oil trus- tees and liquidating trustees. When the hearing was concluded Mir. Kellogg said that he was closer to the books from which he hopes to prove that the oil combine never underwent a legal dissolu- ton.
 Charles White. assistant secretary of the Standard Oil company of New Jersey. said on the witness stand that when he went to the secretary's office to assume his new duties there were two steel safes in the office. One of them contained the books and records of the Standard com pany. What was in the safe he did not know. Mir. White said that no one told him the contents of the second safe, which was removed two weeks after he had come there. From whom the order came or where the safe was taken the wit ness could not tell.
 Mr. White said that he had never seen the records of the Standard oil trustees or the lquidating trustees showing the transfers of stock in the trust lquidaing period. He said that he had hunted for records recently, but was unable to find any more.
 Testimoney was taken to show the prof it's of some of the Standards subsidiary pipe lines, which the governments coun- sel declares are excessive and maintained to prevent shipments of crude oil by independent producers.
 George Chesbro. comptroller of several pipe lines, testified that the Buckeye Pipe Line company of Pennsylvania earned s4, ,376,6lS gross in 1899, and that the operat- Ing expenses were only $316,522 The bal ance sheet for that year showed the net plant investment to be $2,2l5,66 and also an item of s2.G07, ,So6 as a payment to ]. r. Tralnor. charged to operating ex- penses -dr. Chesbro said that he could give no information about the Trainor ac- count In 1900 the balance sheet showed s4.599. s3S paid to MT Trainor
 "1 notice the following loans made by the Buckeye Pipe Line company to the National Transit company. as shown by the balance sheets of the Buckeye com pany. In lSg9, 8,3lIlHi Tn lyU, $o,2ol, ,Si; in 1902. s5,63 sis, in 1903 $Sll5,153: In 1904, s6515 4sS; in 1905, $3, 326; in 1906. $46l6,- 5l4. What were these loans?" asked MT. Kellogg.
 "They represented funds on deposit with the National Transit company" replied Mr. Chesbro.
 You carried these loans as an asset?''
 ''Yes sir
 Why did you deposit these funds with the National Transit company"
 We used the National Transit company as a bank and We could call for the funds whenever we wanted them." replied Mr. Chesbro
 .'I notice that in 1906 the cost of the Buckeye plant Is carried at go, 995967, and the net earnings were s7.O2S 800 for that year. Is that correct?"
 "Yes sir
 "I notice that g 2S1 ,90i Is carried on the books oil purchase contingent fund Why is such a fund as that car ried ?'
 ITO cover the loss by shrinkage in ths carrying of oi." said Mir. Chesbro.
 Tine case was adjourned today until next Thursday in order that John c. Milburn, one of the defendants counsel might attend the Mckinley monument dedication in Canton, Ohio.