Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-01-01
PREDICTS DISASTER
John D. Rockefeller Sees
 Rocks Ahead.
POLLING MASSES FIRST TO SUFFER
Oil King, Looking Forward late Year Just Commenced, Sees Danger In Att tacks on Corporate Interests.
 Shrinkage of Millions.

Oil King, Looking Forward Into Yea
 Just Commenced, Sees Danger Tn At. l tacks on Corporate Interests. shrinkage of Millions. NEW YORK, Jan. 1.--John D. Rocke { feller, the oil king. in ar interview
 here, predicts disaster to the working men of America in 1907. He says thu
 toiling masses must suffer because th' great shrinkage in values will fore the debtor classes to retrench. MT
 Rockefeller said:
 In making inventories for the yea just ending great many business mer
 in this country will find that they hay, | suffered loss amounting to million, of dollars through shrinkage in thu l value of their share holdings during
 the twelve months just past.
 '.This is in the face of our great pros l perlty, the greatest era of prosperity
 in the history of our country Why should stock values be lower today than they were year ago| T can only account for it by the at tacks that have been made upon cor poratc Interests during the last year or two ysArs -unwarranted attacks that go to tear down the structures that have been reared by the people through great effort, energy and patience. "The effect of these attacks was, of
 course, first felt by capitalists, and | f1,vny1 1n-l, ttn <,NF Fnf<
 by the debtor classes
 '.The debtor classes are feeling the
 effect more than ever now"
 ''Who will be the next to suffer?' Why. the man with the dinner pail
 the workingman whose wages are now
 higher than ever before in our history
 20 per cent higher. I believe the statis-
 ticians say, than they were five or six
 years ago
 When stock values are depreciated, as at present, capitalists naturally be- gin to take in their loans, dispose of their collateral and then the debtor classes feel the depression. When the debtor classes feel the depression they retrench, and then is the w0rkingman's time to suffer. I believe January in- ventories will be surprise to many people.
 You have asked me for my opinion of the business prospects for the forth coming year. l have never done much prophesying. l have never considered that profitable, and I guess had bet ter not begin now.
 T will say, though, that have great faith in the American people. I have great faith in the honesty and integ- rity of our business men. The great majority are good. honest, hard work ing and enterprising men. have great faith in their judgment.
 Tt las always been pleasant to look forward to new year In which prOs- perity, success and blessings may he continued and increased. I sincerely hope that this country of ours will realize full share in 1907 and the years that are to come"
 These are the words of John D. Rockefeller. Coming at the opening of the new year. at time when the world looks upon America for her greatest measure of success in com merce and trade: coming at a time when the whole strength of the ad- at Washington is suppos- ed to be directed against Mir. Rockefel- ler's gigantic oil trust and when state are trying to disrupt the it is perhaps the most ex- public statement ever made | by the founder of the Standard Oil company
 Guarded in his every utterance. speaking always with deliberation, with a soft accent upon his words and again with intense earnest | ness, there ran through Mir. Rockefel- er's entire statement note of indig- | nation which. though yelled. was un- | at the political | lttitude of antagonism against corpo- ate wealth.
 Mir. Rockefeller's broadest declara- ion has been quoted above. He said hat the shrinkage in the value of his ,wn stock holdings would be shown by | he January inventory to amount to several millions of dollars"
 This was said mildly. without show If feeling and in voire that the aver 'ee business man might speak of mi Tor failure or temporary disappoint- nent in his affairs.