Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 37, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 March 1905 — Standard Oil’s Phenomenal Profits. [ARTICLE]

Standard Oil’s Phenomenal Profits.

In the 23 years of its existence, the Standard Oil Company has paid $496,065,000 in dividends on its $100,000,006 -of stock. Tliis $496,065,000 is considerably more than one-fifth of all tlie money —gold, silver and paper—in the United States. The $496,065,000 hitherto distributed does not represent the total, profits of the oil trust. What its surplus and undivided profits are no one outside of the innermost hierarchy of the oil kings knows. Nor is there any means of knowing how much is spent each year in lobbying and in influencing legislation, in crushing competition and strengthening tlie grip of the trust on its monopoly. By far the largest part of the Standard Oil profits have been accumulated in the last nine and a quarter years. Prior to 1896 the total dividends paid amount to less than $130,000,000. Since that date the profits have been on such a scale that tlie total is astounding.