New-York tribune., 1908-12-24
STANDARD OIL OUSTED
FINED $50, 900 IN MISSOURI.
Decision Afects WaterS-Pierce, Re
public and Indiana Com pasaies.

lsc
on Company Of Ohio and the waters-Pierce OIL
company of Missouri had eonspired and combined
70 rnoaopollze the OF business in Missouri. the
STATE Supreme Court Ousted al three from the
~,-z-sonu-ealth to-day and fined then, SO 600 eac,
TIE decree against the Waters Pierce company
Sc tempered by the proviso that 4 may continue In
nnsi7ess f. by January Is 1903 Il can show to the
court rhat has taken steps To operate as an IN
dr7rr5eut concern ard has satisfied the Judgment
against f. The other companies must wind I'd
thar Affairs fl the state before March / 1909
The decision. which was unanimous by the seven
Judges. ts sweeping that Attorney General Had
lev and Governor Folk hail II as the end OF Illegal
commercial combinations Missouri and the for
rer asserts that, conjunction with the decision
- t1e Supreme Court Of the United States in the
Tobacco Trust case, II VIII affect similar suits in
a.he- states
A--o--ev General Hadley who has 7rasa,u+es
The Missouri case since It's inception IN March
-ss VII become Governor in less than month
and wsu be charged with the enforcement Of the
decree issued today
The Attorney General followed the decree OF the
cc--r with a statement in which he asserted that
strer-r-s had been made 10 compromise the suit.
AT least three Efforts have been made by at
f,-evs fer the oil Companies 70 get me 70 COM
--n--fse the cases" he said y invariably told
men that the ultimate decision must be made by
tie courts and refused their offers It was init
rs-eE to re that the oil companies were willing
p ar-e-t a good large fine and concede victory
details Auv they were entirely legitimate and as
sue might be made in any other form Of Iitiga-
don"
Il coming 70 its decision the court says:
7: such abuses as, those complained Of are per
E cuesc5cn % tine until they would sap the
s s. "a r5rlent o1zrturT t6e ne Eep1bc- destroy
~ 4-ee Institutions and substitute II lieu thereof
s5ne 7-1zr form CT governInent-''
7he principal indictments against the companies
-hz1 they have created and become members
q Poo trust agreement confederation com
5aszns=lres for ne following purposes -.
= pz-d ty -staI dealers and others in the state
cf N-ssou-i cor -5e refined products Of petroleum
sac--5 = conrrol ard limit the trade in refined
p--6-r-s ot petroleum n this state. ..
tor il ire business Of buying and selling refined
products q petroleum in his stare between them
seEes a-- 2.-S So 5,; - IN 80 Sc 6siis+ T5a+
F7-l--.- -e l--S-s-- - o-.-3r,- -
rr-S-t-E an lndepanisnt business as legitimate
OIL METHODS IN MISSOURI
u explaining how these wrongful acts were con-
s-1---ate5 the decision says
F--ee --- The products Of petroleum especially
t1e5 5 - Le o--s ana s.Ss' s a. a. = 5 ne
t-a6= card quotations. giving tank wagon aSi par
JH0se OF 7-her oil companies. including the iEde-
i -r~r as re f1sepen6ent companies do not re-
517e V-lces or increase the aggregate amount of
amount u the sales made in the state. there is no
Vs- made upon them regarding prices b1t Ntlsl-
low those Fixed by WRters-Pierce. or whenever
-szA p - s-a-e = vigorous warfare Is waged
ssans- them chiefly through TIE Republic SoE--
--,-Iz ---.r ~ i-dene1Se1ts are glad 10 throw
u TIER hands and say enough, and be content
e 70 SCI! oil a rhe prices ans n the 91antlseSS
sccuiese-d in by the Indiana and Republic com
As a result u this method. the waters-Pierce
C0---H-v FEes the prices for which all such OILS
t15s7ezsent companies and at the same time and
bv TIE sane means u controls and onopolizes for
.-self s16 rhe Indiana and the RepubIlc oL com
pa-ieS ron s. g per cent OF TIE entire OH oosl-
-ze e7rnn6n interest running through al q these
companies IS responsible for tne5r toI1aon al9 i
hcs--ess schemes src policies and leads up 70 ano
t-5-ces he standard interest including the re-
ana --a-zp1--atlou for each other. decline 20 sell
= - = --e-ort oils for the independents and 10
fgst tHen with the Republic company BY sys-
ten os espionage and rebates z.. 49,. ,,-
zs-t--ST- zsz1--AE create BY tncfrecti0n a
poo ---z- and combination IN restraint q trade
6s--e z--z ire products o( petroleum = this state
--e or.nion was written BY Judge woodson- /
judges G-1res and Lamb wrote separate concur /
r-=za -.e-ns conc11--ing as 70 the action against
ne S-z-da-d and Republic companies. adds that /
i his belief the Waters-P1erce Company Shollo /
y eaez s. 1lo co. instead os $4,000. Judge Graves
s- -r- --s-+~7 thinks the Waters-Pferce Company |
rA-,.r --- he dissolved Ee said that the evidence
showed that Il Clay Pierce, who owns 40 per cent I
O. lie capllal stock Of Lne company, did al IN ms
pow = prevent Il from going into the trust even
losing bis place as president of the company on 1
thz- account
AR. HADLETs sTATEAENT-
Attorney General HadIey's statement On the de-
c.zi follows II part
TIE decisive issue II this contest was whether
r. g--Ce-s q corporation couo oe -oLIPe--1C
g disclose the plan upon W--lcL [A1 o-S.-tIlS 80
--Ea--zeE and conducted. even though tIat IacI
--- TEND 10 convict Lle corporation OF cIlIl--lG-
ce-ce subject II 70 pena-ty ana a I-I-e-e-1-
SEEN u support she contention OF the defendants
~ hey couG net De coL2pe--eG 70 Se LGLI-- court
evidence But within one week ne SlpIt---S l
= ne United States. II the LoOaSco us -
nd tre Supreme Court e MissoITi IN ms case @
--l=1 that IEts claim o. immunity COolL -
zsf--lv be invoked IN behalf OF g corporatloIL
Ez- vas creature C law and tilat u nus
-s0-=- 70 the state 20 whether i was comply I
~ -z-L the laws under which Il had been ere
Ne decision Is q course, complete victory for
le state. The Egnr has been long and hard ana
=- ---- 10 yea Ze in this day Of complete Gel
--z--e r. --e 7az on the part OF owners Of the
Industrial corporations the neTce opposll4uI
-L studied ins0leuce with which erorLs 70 seSUIe
-e -ar-s t- mis- case were met three years ago.
~ tie line thts suit begun there was not
STATE or federal suit pending against the stand
s-- Oh trust The facts TO its plan OF orsaIl-
ra-5es. s-s ne best Informed persons Of Wall
street s-E rIseT could give Information upon
--s c-esr-oE- sUbucslaeq re Ct-lCels 80
Ia-1es here in Missouri, and Lef tI5AeL go -.
-=v do yc- have the Information dehrtQ OF tLSo I
-ev declined 10 answer. then went Z New IoTk /
r- sELUleI-zeC H II Rogers Joill {
I'D other ieeding officers Of the Standard on trust
5--h result mat Is now a part oI Lle L.s.oIS L.s.oIS5
e-e~a- ~-e~urnerlts 70 compel every large indus
riaI -rraHIrari1 70 conduct its business IN &C
o-5nroe with the laws q the land
7F non f-l~