The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-07-07

the office at all
What is your general impression as
TO what the business of the Standard
OIL company of New Jersey is?''
They have a refinery and refine oil.
That was the-yes-it would be impos-
sible for me to give-tO make an an
swer to that question inteiligently
without a study of the case
Have you an impression as to
whether or not the Standard Oil COM
pany Of New Jersey operates indirect
! ~ more than one oil refinery"
Attorney Miller objected to this
question as going beyond the right of
any statement regarding either the in
/ formation desired by the court or the
purpose of that information which, he
said. ne understood had to do with the
fixing of 4 fine. He declared that it
had been widely published that the
government had purpose in the pres
ent investigation to develop evidence
for another case on trial in Missouri
What do you mean by purpose? p
| asked Judge Lands sharply.
4 use the words I have seen in the
( newspapers" said the attorney.
What 90 you mean by your use of
| the words the government
4 wish to state that the government
has nothing to do with this inquiry.
Ignorant About Refineries.
Attorney Miller replied that he had
| intended no insinuation, but believed
that the present investigation should
not invade a case where the govern
ment is prosecuting the Standard Oil
| company in another state than Illi
| nois, and where the information was
not of importance in connection with
/ the case at issue before Judge Lands.
The court declared that he was seek
] fv,-- 70 -fo,sv, IL -
pOration holding the stock of the
/ Standard Oil company of Indiana
which was recently convicted of rebat-
/ ing. The questioning of Mr.. ROckefel-
/ Ter was then resumed by the judge.
Have you any recollection. Mr..
/ Rockefeller. that the Standard Oil
/ company of New Jersey is engaged in
/ the refinement of oil in more than the
! one refinery you have referred tor
I do not know what refineries there
are. The refining business has grown
| up since my touch with its active op-
/ eTations"
/ so that you don't know?"
I could not tell 1 only know Of the
/ operation Of refineries that are in New
/ Jersey by the. Standard Oil company
/ of New Jersey
/ DO you know of the Standard Oil
company of New Jersey being inter
I
( fneTies through and in the name Of
/ the corporation whose stock is held by
1 the Standard Oil company of New
! Jersey?"
That. I presume, is so"
rs the business of the StandaEd Oil
company of New Jersey. GENERALLY
speaking, the production and refining
of oiI?"
The production. the refining and the
al Of oil j.
ture Of the business of the Standard
Oil company of New Jersey"
Beyond that, what is its occupa-
tion?'
I could not say; do not think it
would be proper to say that it has oc-
cupation in administering refineries."
The witness made quite a pause then
turning his eyes slowly upon the Judge,
remarked, You are rather technical"
Substitute the word business for the
word occupation. Beyond the prOduc-
ton and refinement of oil, has the
Standard Oil company of New Jersey
any other business?''
I should say not, strictly speaking"
DO you know what the dividends of
the Standard Oil company of New Jer-
sey We're during the years of 1903, 1904
and 1862"
Approximate the Dividends.
q don't know, your honor, exactly.
but approximately about 40 per cent
Of the outstanding stock. l would not
undertake to speak absolutely definite,
but that is close approximate"
DO you know what the net earn
ings Of the Standard Oil company were
during these years."
i do not"
District Attorney Sims then asked
Lo
with the circumstances surrounding
The organization of the Standard Oil
company of Indiana. but Judge Lands
declared that he did not care for the
information.
The court then asked the witness
what officer of the standard Oil COM
pany of New Jersey would be able to
tell him the amount of the net earn
ings of the company during the years
1903, 1904 and 1905.
The witness replied:
Il really do not think I could tell
you. Undoubtedly one of the gentle
men sUbpoenaed is here present who
could"
Judge Lands said that Secretary
Pratt of the Standard Old company of
New Jersey and other officials were
present in the court, and asked Mr.
Rockefeller Of he or any of the others
4 should think so, sir"
The court then said: Then call Mr.
Pratt That is all for the present, Mr.
Rockefeller"
The witness. instead of leaving the
chair, sank back into it as though he
intended to remain there. A bailiff
stepped uD and told him that his ex-
animation was concluded and that he
could leave the stand. Mr. ROckefel-
Ter then rose and walked briskly to the
seat he had occupied before being
called.
Charles NJ. Pratt, the secretary of
the company, who followed Mr.. Rookie
Teller upon the stand, was asked by
the judge if the estimate given by Mr.
Rockefeller as to the outstanding CAPT
tai stock of the Standard Oil company
of New Jersey was about 500, 900, 900
The witness replied:
Il think it is not quite that. 1t is
about S9S, 20, 900 Something like that
That is within a few dollars of the
amount"
Did you hear his statement as to
the approximate amount of dividends
paid by the company during the years
1903. 1904 and 1862"
Il did"
He was uncertain as to the exact