Los Angeles herald., 1908-11-21
ROCKEFELLER IS
Holly GRILLFD
FOR S HOURS
STANDARD OIL MAGNATE Sc
VERE-Y TRIED
FEDERAL COUNSEL KELLOGG
ASKS MANY QUESTIONS
Enormous Earnings of Octopus" Are
Clearly Shown--Dividends in 1907
Were $4,000, ,ooo-surplus
$3oo,oooooo

TBy Associated Pressl
NJ EW YORK, Nov 2O.-For five
hours today John D. Rockefeller,
~ witness for the defense in the
government suit to dissolve the STAN
dard Oil company, faced an unceasing
fire of questions from the federal coun-
sci, Frank b. Kellogg, and when ad-
iournment was taken until Monday the
head of the oil Cd hpbine was still be-
ing cross-exanainsd o. the charge that
the company in its efrly days accept
ed rebates to Che disadvantage of its
rivals
Rockefeller's cross examination will
probably not be concluded until late
Tuesday, as Mr.. Kellogg made it
known that he would question Mr..
Rockefeller on every detail of the COM
pany's business.
The enormous earning power of the
oil combination was sharply brought
out in today's hearing when Mr.. Rocke-
feller, after stating that the Standard
had paid dividends amounting to $40,-
600, 900 in 1907, said it had earned as
much more, and that this was added to
the company's surplus, which was
stated by the governments counsel to
be $500, 100000.
EdIICG iNCGIiJ nan q 0fifSf
1t was further declared by Mr.. Kel-
logg that the company within the last
eight years had earned nearly half
billion dollars.
The course OF Mr.. Rockefeller's tes-
timony in the hands of the govern
ment counsel ran not so smoothly as
yesterday when he told his story under
the direction of friendly counsel but
the rapid fire interrogations of the
al m with
sha..en inperturbability and readiness
to answer, except when, as he ex-
planned:
1T is quite impossible for me to re-
member after thirty-tive years l do
not recall
Mr.. Rockefeller was questioned
closely regarding rebates which the
Standard was accused of accepting, but
with the exception of an agreement
with the Pennsylvania rairoad which
Mr. Rockefeller explained gave the
company a rebate in order to equallze
oil rates, Mr.. Rockefeller could not re-
call any other rebate.
The president of the Standard Oil
company. when he learned the govern
ments counsel would not be able to
conclude the cross examination by to-
morrow night, suggested an adjourn
ment until Monday, Which was
agreed to.
derful development of the Standard Oil
company probably will not be touched
on at all in the testimony of John y.
Rockefeller, the maker of the great
corporation, in his testimony in the
governments suit to dissolve the So
called trust.
Narrative interrupted
Until a moment before the adjourn
ment yesterday there had been no in
timation that Mr.. Rockefeller's direct
narrative of his connection with the OH
industry from 1860 until the present
time would be interrupted.
He had told in greatest detail of the
early days of the business and with
almost equal explicitness of the various
steps in his company's growth and de-
velopment from that time until 1887
At that point, however almost without
warming his counsel called Mr.. Rocke-
feler from the stand and announced
that the direct examination of the Wit
ness had been completed. The disap-
pointment that came to those who had
been following the story of Mr.. Rookie
feller which came with the sudden ter
mination of his unfinished narrative
was somewhat tempered by an an
nouncement by the Standard Oil law
yers that the history of the big COR
poration's later years will be related
by John d. Archbold.
Mr.. Kellogg said the cross examina-
ton would not be confined to the period
between 1862 and 1887, concerning which
Mr. Rockefeller gave evidence on his
direct examination, but would cover
also subsequent developments connected
with the period described by Mr.
Rockefeller.
In response to questions about the
hazardous nature of the oil business,
owing to the possibility OF failure of
supply, Mr.. Rockefeller said that the
production of crude oil in the Pennsyl-
vania field had steadily increased from
1862 to 1900. Mr.. Kellogg read figures
from an official report showing that the
Pennsylvania field reached its highest
point of production in 1900.
Denies Ample Supply
Mr.. Rockefeller denied that the sup
ply of crude oil had always been am-
pie, and asserted that it had 1uctuated,
but that the supply is larger now than
when he was actively engaged in busi-
ness.
ments of oil f1eIda IA phio and Okla
homa, but said Yhe knew little about
them, as they had been actively worked
since he retired from business. He de-
scribed the drilling and production Of
all as of the character of mining
business.
He said it was the policy of his com
pany to pay Tor ltS OIL at tne WSHss
and that the larger part of the oil it
refined was purchased from the pro-
ducer.
lyon have been prosperous since the
beginning?" asked Mr.. Kellogg.
"Yes"
"Do YOU consider a business hazard
Gus that on an original investment OF
S67 900 900 paid dividends amounting to
sSe1 900 900 and had left a surplus of
$500. 600, ,0O0?"
81 don't consider the amount of
money made determined whether the
business is hazardous or not" said Mr.
Rockefeller.
That Trust Agreement
He was then asked about the trust
agreement of 1882 and whether the
trust certificates did not show a value