Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-17

Manhattan OIL Company now"
None at all
Questions brought out the fact that there
were certain contracts in connection with
q gas company that he wished TO nave
the purchasers of his oil stock respect.
These contracts expired three years after
Are you aware that the rehners OF the
Manhattan Oh Company were bought by
the Solar Refining Company, a Standard
oil concern
Yes"
Did you go out of the oil business be-
cause you ceased to need protection Tor
your gas business
The witness said that the only way he
had ever heard that the Standard Oil
owned the Manhattan Oil Company was
through the newspapers.
The witness testified that he and Anthony
n Brady had organ d the Manhattan
on Company but he couldn't remember
when He did not remember whether he
was officer of the company.
Charles Pratt Called.
The witness was excused. and Charles NJ.
Pratt director In the Standard Oil Com
Iauy. took the stand
Mr. Pratt said that he had been an officer
Of the Standard OIL Company since 1872.
Previously to that time he had been one of
the llquidating trustees. and signed the
trust agreement OF 1sS1 Before then he
was a salesman. The witness said that his
duties now were keeping minute book.
stock book and a stock reg .ster. He has
nothing to do with the purchase of stocks.
list of stocks owned by the Standard
or Company September !. 1901. was put in
evidence. but the witt ess cou not vouch
for its correctness.
AS secretary of the Standard Oil Com
pany do you know anything about its ac-
QUESTION of the stock of other compa-
nes?"
Not necessarily"
DO you know of the Manhattan Oil
Company and the Solar Refining Com
pany?'
by hearsay."
How much stock does the Standard oil
Company own of the Solar Refining Com
puny?"
The witness consulted a list and answer
ed ''FOrty-nine hundred and ninety-four.
Owns Many Companies.
He said that he had no knowledge as to
whether the Standard Oil Company kept a
list of the capitalization of other companies
The witness professed ignorance of the
Manhattan OIL Company and its affairs. He
had the same absence of information con-
corning the Ohio company. Upon the re-
quest of Mr. Kellogg he agreed TO furnish
the list of officers and directors of COM
panies in which stock is owned by the
Standard Oil Company and their capitaliza-
ton.
Did you ever hear of the General Indus
the Commercial Trading and Investing
Company of London?
mo sir
These were the companies which Mr.. Kel-
lcgg in his examination of Commodore
Benedict brought out were purchasers OF
the Manhattan Oil Company stock.
What other companies are you a dlrec-
tor OFF,
The Standard Oil Company of New
York. the Standard Oil Company of In
diana and the Vacuum companies of Italy.
Melbourne and London. / am also an Off
Ger of the Standard Oil Company of Ken
lucky. The Kentucky company IS the dis
tributing company for the south"
Where does 1t get its oil?'
at buys 1t from the refineries of the
Standard at Whiting"
Pratt's Bad Memory.
What is this c. NJ Pratt investment
mentioned on the tabulation?"
The witness looked as II he did not
know. but on further questioning developed
remembrance that 1t was stock of the
Waters-Pierce OIL Company held by him as
an investment for the Standard OIL Com
pany of New Jersey. In 1902 this brought
In an income of S137 100. the next year ST.
99O. 100 and in 1904 S1.S53,IOO. The stock
was acquired in the fall of 1900. The wit
ness was generally ignorant of the Waters
Pierce company. but he knew that the
Standards holdings of Its stock amounted
to 2.I4O odd shares of total of 1900.
What companies in Texas other than
the Waters-Pierce Company does the
Standard Oil own stock imp
II do not know"
In material details Mr.. Pratt's memory
was of a general hearsay sort. He was
aware In a general way that there had been
an attempt to GUST the Waters-Pferce Com
pany from Texas, but only In a general
way. though he held a majority of it's
stock for the Standard Oil Company of
New jersey.
aF
Company of New Jersey its subs diary
companies looked after by commttees?"
Il know of no such committee l do not
recall any.
1859 made up Of officers of the Standard"
No
Prior to that time?"
Possibly. | do not recall"
Were you ever member of any COM
mittee having charge of any branch of any
business of the Standard any time?'
Possibly in early days. during the trus-
teeship. Prior to 1882 1 might have been.
that is. in the period when control was
vested in the trustees"
Hazy as to Details.
The witness could not remember who had
charge of the trustees accounts.
Are you familiar with the manner of
trust Iiquidation?"
'In a general way"
Have you books showing the progress
OF liquidation from time to tirne?"
81 have no knowledge of them"
who kept the bOoks?''
II suppose the controller"
who was the controller"
Il don't know"
The stock of the Standard Oil of New
Jersey was increased in January 1899, from
10000. 600 to $l10. 900. 900. was 1t not?'
THAT is correct"
Prior to that II held stocks in large
number of companies?''
Yes"
Mr.. Pratt Concludes.
Hr. Kellogg then tried to establish the
witness knowledge of the existence and
whereabouts of the books for the liquidat-
ing trustees account. but without avail
To every other question the witness re-
piled. Il do not know or L can not re-
CALI
The Standard Oil Company of New
Jersey issued the same number of shares
for the stocks of the subsidiary companies
that these companies held in the trustee
ship agreement, or 912,500 shares, did 1t
not
The witness explained that while this was
30 in way and in the end came to such an
explanation, or was incidentally So there
were ways Of looking at il when it was not
quite SO. lie finally agreed that perha DIS
Mr. Kellogg had stated the matter with
approximate correctness.
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