Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-09-24
DiIigent Search fails to
Discover Wanted Ledg-
er and Stock Book.
OFFICERS TAKE A HAND
Believed They Would Show New
Jersey Company is ReOrgan-
ization of Illegal Concern.

New York, Sept PA ledger and
stock book which it is supposel
show the stock transactions by which
the Standard Oil company of New
Jersey took over control of 119 other
oil companies formerly allied with the
Standard Oil company of Ohio cannot
be found Mr.. kellogg hoped by the
books to prove that the Standard o.
company of New Jersey is really a re-
organization OF the company which
was dissolved by the government >
years ago for alleged restraint Of trade
All Officials Fail.
John G. Milburn of counsel for COM
pany, who offered to search the trans
fer department of the Standard o.
company for Mr. Kellogg could not
find them, nor could Wesley II. Til
ford, treasurer. Charles NJ. Pratt. se;-
retary, or William Rockefeller.
Sells Much Abroad.
New York, Sept. 24.-Seventy-seven
per cent of the export oil produced by
the Tidewater Oil company and trans
ported to its refinery through the pipes
of the Tidewater Pipe Line company,
Ltd, an allied corporation, is sold
abroad by the Standard Oil company.
OF the per cent Cf these allied COM
panies' total production OF Illuminating
oil which is sold in domestic markets,
81 per cent is sold through cOnsign-
ment through the Standard Oil.
rhat both OF these arrangements eX-
ist through a contract, which has just
been renewed for the next 10 years,
and that the Standard Oil company Of
New Jersey owns 81 per cent of the
total stock in the Tidewater Compa-
nies, were brought out III the eXamina-
tion yesterday of Robert ID. Benson, an
officer of both Tidewater concerns, be
fore Referee Ferriss, presiding over the
inquiry into the Standard being con
Quoted to secure evidence for the pros
ecution started in the United States
circuit court at st. Louis
Standard Supplies Crude Product.
Mr.. Benson testified that the Tide
water refinery was supplied with crude
oil to the extent of its full capacity by
the Standard company through pipe
lines owned by that corporation, anC
that the Standard gets all the oil be
longing to the TidCwater companies
through its interest in the associate,
producers company, which cannot b,
transported directly to the refinery 0
the Tidewatcr Oil company.
BY inference the testimony of thi
witness established the fact sought b.
the governments prosecutor, that i
the Tidewater concerns did not agre
to allow the Standard to export thei
oil no crude oil could be obtained b
them for refining and they would b
driven out of business.
Once Competed.
In the examination which was mad
into the relations between the StanC
ard Oil company, first of Ohio and late
of New Jersey, and the Tidewater con
panies. which in the early sos weT
the sharpest competitors of the StanC
ard trust, Charles B. Morrison, who
assisting Prosecutor Frank Kellogg, o
dered to be opened minutes of NEE
ing of some of the managers of tn
Tidewater Pipe Line company whiC
had remained sealed since 1888. Thes
minutes, which were spread on recor
gave for the first time proceedings
the Standard faction in the TidewatC
company, which, by an unlawful NEE
ing held in Titusville, Pa, Jan. II, 1SS
tried to execute the coup of thrown
the then Independent competitor of Il
rl Of TO
feller's system. At a meeting of Il
bona fide managers on the followiI
day these minutes had been declar,
void and ordered sealed up for all tim