The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-05-25
SUFFICIENT TO
GUST STANDARD
Report of Commissioners Ap-
pointed to Take Evidence in
Missouri Oil Case.
UP TO TIE SUPREME COURT
MAY AFFIRM OR REMAND THE
CASE.

Jefferson City, Mo-, May 24-Com-
missioner Anthony. appointed by the
Missouri sepreme court to take testi-
mony in the custer suit OF the state
against the Standard Oil company, to-
day made his report TO the court. He
holds that the evidence introduced is
sufficient to Gust the Standard Oil
company and tributary companies
from Missouri
Attorney General HadIey filed the
suit in the supreme court two years
ago. charging that the Standard Oil
company, the Waters-Pierce Oil com
pany and the Republic Oil company
were in trust and were parties to a
conspiracy 10 control the price of oil
and petroleum products in Missouri
and to limit competition in the oil bus
mess.
Years Work OF csse.
Judge Anthony of Fredericktown,
Mo, was appointed by the supreme
court to take testimony ana report his
findings TO the court More than q
year has been occupied in the taking
of the testimony, witnesses having
been examined in New York, st. Louis
and other cities.
In his report to the court Judge An
thony reviews in detail the testimony
shown the Organization and conduct
of the companies.
He reports to the court that the evil
denee shows that fin 1901 the Standard
Oil company, Waters-Pierce and Re
public Oil companies entered into an
agreement. which continued to exist UP
10 the time of the filing of the suit. for
the purpose of fixing and controlling
the prices to he paid by retail dealers
and others in Missouri for the products
Of petroleum. and TO limit and prevent
competition in the business Of the buy
ing and selling oil.
Proof of Combination.
The commissioner further finds that
the three companies, from 1y01 up to
the time of bringing the suit by the -
torney general did:
Fix and maintain the prices of the
refined products of petroleum sold in
Missouri, consisting of coal oil, gaso-
line ard naptha.
2-ControI and limit the trade in such
refining products of petroleum in the
state.
S-Prevent and destroy competition
in the purchase and sale of such re-
fined products of petroleum.
The report says that in pursuance of
the agreement the oil companies pre-
vented competition among themselves
and others in Missouri securing con-
tTOi OF ~ per Celfl OF Ine OIL business
depriving the people of free, full and
wholesome competition; that the oil
companies misled the public into the
belief that they were separate and dis
tinct corporations. when. in fact, the
agreement made them one corporation.
HadIey Sustained.
The findings of the commission sus-
tain in toto the contentious Of Attorney
General Hadley.
The report OF Commissioner Antho-
ny will now be reviewed by the SUI
preme court. The court may affirm
the findings of the commissioner. or il
may remand the case to him with di-
rections for further proceedings.
IL the report should be affirmed and
the findings of the commissioner adopt
ed by the court. the court would then
have power to take from the Waters
Pierce company, which is Missouri
corporation, it's franchise rights as a
corporation With regard to the stand
ard and Republic companies, both OF
which are foreign corporations, the
court would have power to cancel their
right. to do business in Missouri. The
court may impose fines upon the de-
PENDANTS