The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-07-09
Rockefeller a Dense Witness
CONTINUED from Firs; ra<sl

button and sale OF GA
.wsll YOUR honor a. I have beefa -
long out Of business. ane oDt ~ th4s
business. Il Is a dozen Years since !
have been al ali actively related Win
the affairs o. rho COMPANY. ~ II .tsHs
years. your honor. since l nave he'h
in the office AT all"
as 10 what the business OF the stand
ard OH Company Of New Jersey
They have "a refinery. and rrhne
oil. That was the-ses-it wouaa Q"
i'm possible for me 10 xise-'o make an
answer-to that question inielllgshAN
without j study OF the case
Have YOU an Impression as 70
whether or not tbs standard on COM
pany OF New Jersey operates indirect
Is more thap one oil refinery
Attorney MIL objected on the ground
that the present Investigation should
not invade a case where the govern
ment is prosecuting the standard OIL
in another State than llh-
nois. and where the Information vas
not OF importance in connection Win
he Gaze at issue before Judge Lands
n court declared that he Wa
seeking 10 ascertain the wealth or the.
corporation holding the stock Of tho
Standard on Company OF Indiana
which was recently convicted OF re-
batting. The questioning Of Mr. Recke-
Teller vas then esumed by the judge
Dcns as To other Matters.
Have YOU any recollection. AIR.
Rockefeller. that the Standard OH
Company of New Jersey is Interested
in the refining Of oil more than in the
one refinery YOU have referred to =
Il do not know what rnperies there
are. The refining business has grown
up since my touch WITH its active
operations. / only know OF the oper-
alton OF refneries that are in New
al -
OF New Jersey"
DO YOU know OF the Standard OH
Company Of New Jersey being inter
ested in the operation Of any other
renneries through and in the name
Of the corporation Who's stock is held
by the standard Oil Company OF New
jersey"
That. l presume. is so"
rs the business of the Standard
OIL Company of New Jersey generally
speaking. the production and refin-
ing OF oil?'
The production. the refining. and
the sale of oil. that is an important
feature of the business OF the stand
ard Oil Company of New Jersey"
Beyond that what is its occupa-
tion?"
II could not say: l do not think il
would be prope TO say that it has an
occupation in administering reflner-
les"
The witness made quite a pause af-
ter the completion OF his reply and
then turning his eyes slowly on the
Judge remarked.
You are rather tchnical."
Substituting the word business for
the word occupation beyond the
production and refining OF oil has the
Standard Oil Company of New Jersey
any other business? ?"
I should say not. strictly speaking"
Some idea of Dividends.
do you know what the dividends
OF the tandard Oil Company Of New
Jersey were during the years 1903,
1904 and 1862"
II don't know. your honor. exactly,
but approximately about forty per
cent of the outstanding stock. I
would not undertake TO speak abso-
Proclamation.
DO you know what the net earnings
of the Standard Oil Company were
during those years."
Il do not"
The court then asked the witness
what officers of the Standard Oil Com
pany Of New Jersey would be able to
tell him the amount Of net earnings
OF the during the years 1903,
1904 and 1905.
The witness replied: Il really do
not think | could tell you. Undoubt-
ed1y one of the gentlemen subpoenaed
is here present who could"
Judge Lands said that Secretary
Pratt Of the Standard oil Company of
New Jersey and other officials were
present in the court and asked Mr..
Rockefeller If he or any Of the others
could give the desired information.
The witness replied: Il should
think so. sir"
The court said: Then call Mr..
Pratt. That is all for the present.
Mr.. rockefeller
The witness instead of leaving the
chair sane back into 1t as though he
intended to remain there. A baliff
stepped up behind him and whispered
to him that his examination was con-
cluded ard that he could leave the
stand. Mr.. Rockefeller then arose and
walked brislfly to the sea, he had oc-
cupied before being called.
Getting Down to Figures.
Charles M. Pratt. the secretary of
the company, who followed Mr.. Rookie
Teller on the stand, was asked by the
judge if the estimate given by Mr..
Rockefeller as to the outstanding cap
ital took Of the Standard Oil Company
OF New Jersey was about 800, OOO. 900.
The witness replied. II think il is not
quite that. It is about s9S,O 30, 900"
something like that. That Is within a
few dollars of the amount"
bId you near THIS statement as to !
the approximate amount of dividends
paid by the company during the years
1903, 1904 and 1862"
II did
II was uncertain as TO the exact
amount He stated forty per cent"
i think that was correct. your
honor. That was the average"
ID YOU remember the net earnings
the company during these three
Il do. very clearly. your honor.
think for the first year they were ISL
100000 approximately. This was
1903"
Now for 1904"
For 1904 as near as 7 remember.
/ should say they were s61. 500. O00.'
And in 1902"
a trife over $4,000. 900 az near
as / can remember"
Now generally speaking, is the
ca pital represented by the OUTSTANDING
stock something under 800. O00, 900 Of
the standard Oil Company OF Ncw
Jersey employed in the refining, dis
.ributio and sale of the products OF.