Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-23
BAN ON STANDARD OIL
Forever Forbidden to Do Busi-
ness in Missouri.
$4,000 FINE ALSO IMPOSED
Sweeping Decision of the State Su-
preme Court.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo, December 23.-
The supreme court of Missouri handed
down decision this morning ousting the
Standard Oil Company of Indiana and the
Republic Oil Company from the state of
Missouri, forbidding them ever again to
90 business in Missouri and dissolving the
Waters-Pierce Oil Company of St. Louis.
In addition each Of the companies is fined
$4,000.
The order disso!ving the Waters-Pierce
Oil Company will become effective Janu-
ary 15 next, unless the company on or
before that date furnishes to the supreme
court satisfactory evidence that it intends
to operate as an independent concern.
The court finds that the companies con-
spired-
1. To regulate and fix prices to retail
dealers.
.. To control and limit the trade in the
refined products of petroleum.
g. To control and limit and prevent
competition in the buying and selling of
these products.
A. To deceive and mislead the public into
the belief that they were separate and
distinct corporations pursuing independ-
emily their business as legitimate compet-
itorS.
Suit instituted In 1SUo.
The suit to oust the three companies
was instituted by Attorney General Had
ley in 1905, and the evidence taken by a
special commissioner in St Louis and in
New York has been before the state SUI
preme court for more than year
The opinion was written by Judge
Woodson. All seven judges concur and
Judges Graves and Lamb wrote separate
concurring opinions.
Judge Lamb concurrirg as to the action
against the Standard and Republic com
panies adds that in his belief the Waters
Pierce Company should be fined $1,000, OoC
instead of $4,000. Judge Graves In his
opinion thinks the Waters-Pierce Com
pany should not be dissolved. He said
that the evidence showed that IL. Clay
Pierce. who owns 40 per cent or the capi-
tai stock of the company, did all in his
power to prevent it from going into the
trust, even losing his position as presl-
dent of the company on that account.
The minority stockholders, Judge Graves
SAYS, could not help themselves and they
should be protected While Judge Graves
urged a greater punishment for the Stand
ard of Indiana and the Republic of Ohio
yet 1t was due to his influence that the
Waters Pierce Oil Company was not alb
solutely ousted from Missouri.
Opinion Of the Judge.
The opinion Of Judge Woodson, which
was concurred in by the other judges,
states that the record shows that the
Standard Oil Company has been guilty of
unlawful means in the formation of a
trust to control the output of oil and the
prices at which it is sold to dealers; in
dvidual investments have been blighted
by the power Of the trust and small in
dependent refiners and operators have
been forced to enter the service Of the
company as hewers of wood and drawers
of water.
In conclusion of his report. which covers
400 typewriter pages, Judge Woodson
says that the action in giving the Waters
Pierce Oil Company time in which to
sever it's connections with the trust is
taken to protect the minority stock
holders.
The evidence. it is said. discloses that
the majority interests in the company
were owned by the New Jersey company.
and that these interests displaced Fl. Clay
Pierce, the president of the Waters
Pierce Company, because of his persist
ent efforts 10 conduct the affairs of the
company independent of the STANDARD Oil
Company of New Jersey and the Stand
ard Oil Company of Indiana.
Punishment. the court says. should be
severe enough to meet the crime cimmit-
ted against the state. but the good faith
of the minority stockholders should be
recognized,