Asked upon another occasion, before the Pennsylvania Legislature, about the accounts of the company when he was its secretary, he said:
"I am not familiar with the accounts."[706]
"I am a clamorer for dividends. That is the only function I have," said another trustee.[707]
"When was your last rate given you, the rate at which you are now being carried (on the New York Central)?"
"I could not tell."[708]
The secretary had testified that this associate attended to getting the rates of freight; but the latter avowed that he could not remember "any rate" that he had paid "at any time." But a little later he who could not remember any rate he had ever paid was able to tell the committee, off-hand, the exact rate of freight on oil by steamer from Batoum in Russia to Liverpool, and knew the rate from the wells at Baku by rail to the sea at Batoum![709]
"Had you ever been interested in the refinery of oil in any manner when you first became connected with the oil business?" another trustee was asked.
"Never."
"Or the production of oil?"
"Never."