The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1908-12-25
MISSOURI GUSTS
STANDARD OIL.
WaterS-PieTCe and Republic Con.
Germs Must Leave State.
THREE FINED $4,000 EACH.
Seven Supreme Judges Concur In
Sweeping Decision Which Is Hailed
as End of illegal Combines in "show
Me" State-Drastic Arraisnment.


Me" State-Drastic Arraisnment.
Jefferson City, Mo-, Dec. 24-De.
claring that the Standard Oil company
of Indiana, the Republic Oil company
of Ohio and the Waters-Pierce Oil
company of Missouri had conspired
and combined to monopolize the oil
business in this state, the supreme
court of Missouri issued a decree GUST
ing all three from the commonwealth,
and tining them $4,000 each.
The decree against the Waters.
Pierce company is tempered by the
proviso that it may continue in bust
ness if by Jan. 10, 1909, it can show to
the court that it has taken steps to
operate as an Independent concern
and has satisfied the judgment against
1t. The other companies are given
until March |, 1909 to wind up their
affairs in the state.
Seven Judges Agree.
The decision, which was unanimous
on the part of the seven judges, is so
sweeping that Attorney General Had.
ley and Governor Folk hail it as the
end of the illegal commercial combi
nations in Missouri, and the former as
serts that, in conjunction with the de-
cision of the supreme court of the
United States in the tobacco trust
case, it will affect similar suits in
other states.
Attorney General Hadley, who has
prosecuted the Missouri case since its
inception in March, 1905, will become
governor in less than a month and
then will be charged with the enforce
ment of the decree. The attorney
general followed up the PRONUNCIATION
by the court with a statement in
which he asserted that attempts had
been made to compromise the suit.
In coming to its decision, the court
says: "If such abuses as those com
planned of are permitted to continue
untrammelled, it would be only a
question of time until they would sap
the strength and patriotism from the
very foundations of our government
overturn the republic, destroy our free
institutions and substitute, in lieu
thereof, some other form OF govern
ment."
The offenses.
The court finds that the companies
conspired to regulate and fix prices to
retail dealers; to control and limit the
trade in the refined products Of petro-
leum; to control and limit and pre-.
vent competition in the buying and
selling of these products; to deceive
and mislead the public into the belief
that they were separate and distinct
corporations, pursuing independently
their business as legitimate comp
itors.
In explaining how these were con
summated, the decision says: prices
for oils and gasoline are fixed by the
Waters-PierCe company 1t sends out
to the trade card quotations giving
tank, wagon and barrel prices and as
a rule those prices are followed by all
other oil companies including the IN
dependent companies, doing business
in this state. As long as the inIepend-
ent companies do not reduce prices or
increase the aggregate amount of their
sales above 10 to Is per cent Of the
entire amount of the sales made in the
state there is no war made upon them
regarding prices. But whenever any
Independent company reduces prices
below those fixed by Waters-Pierce,
| or whenever their aggregate sales eX-
coed 10 per cent of all sales made in
the state, vigorous warfare is waged
against them, chiefly through the Re.
public company by means of an elab.
crate system of espionage in their
business and cutting prices or giving
rebates, until the independents are
glad to throw up their hands and say
Enough and be content to sell OF at
the prices and in the quantities pre-.
scribed by the Waters-PierCe com.
pany and acquiesced in by the Indiana
and Renublic COmDanipS -