New-York tribune., 1909-03-10
STANDARD OIL 0USTED
wlTERS-PIERCE VICTORY.
Latter Corporation Can Still Do
Business an Missouri.

-.~e-eon city. No. March 9.-The motions by
-. -.rau5z,d C5i Company of Indiana and the
---..b1ic oil Company of Ohio for a rehearing of
=. orster suit recently decided against-them and
oafaeation Of the Judgment were overruled by
.,s missouri Supreme Court to-day.
Tho position Of the Waters-Pierce on Company
Is ,nbeld the motion Of the Attorney General
s- IN absolute custer Of the Missouri company
t.i,r denied. the compliance with the court order
.cent1v fled by the company being approved and
re Judgment Of custer against them being sus-
pended
-,siana and Ohio companies from Missouri and to
.s,ore 10 the Waters-Pierce company. 60 per cent
~ whose stock IS held by the Standard OIL Com
pany OF New Jersey, the right TO do business
within the state.
No formal opinion in the premises was read,
chief Justice valiant simply announcing the gIst
=, the courts decision. Justices Lamm and Wood
son dissented. The Standard Oil interests are ex-
eeted 20 appeal from the decision and carry their
case 10 the Supreme Court OF the United States.
The decision is considered a great victory for
tie Waters-Pierce company, and incidentally for
the minority interests Of that concern, who claim
10 have been making unavailing efforts to free the
company from control by the New Jersey corpora
tion With this object in view, they declined 10
spproye the proposition made by the Standard OH
Company Of Indiana that that company be allowed
10 continue business in the state under a trustee
ship composed Of representatives Of the court and
the company.
This proposition excited much interest as it
would have given 10 the state measure of direct
control OF q corporations affairs had it been
adopted by the court. It ignored in the an
nounce1nent by the chief justice
With the judgment OF custer made absolute
against the Standard Oil Company Of Indiana and
the Republic OIL Company. these concerns must
now pay their fines Of $4,000 each and cease busi-
ness the state. The 5000 assessed against the
Waters-Fieroe company has been paid. In con-
necuon with the certified check which the Mis-
souri company fled with the clerk OF the court,
document presented accepting the courts
original decree, which carried a conditional permit
to continue business. These provisions included
one that the company must be reorganized as
70 be free from Standard oil control There was
nothing IN the document to show that this had been
done, and this basis the Attorney General
moved that the custer decree be made effective at
once.
When informed Of the courts action to-day At
torney General Najcr said:
The Supreme Courts decision simply means that
the Maters-Pierce company viii not be ousted
from state at this time. However, the original
Judgment Of the court Will stand against it. that
L Il violates the courts decree the state can
renew application for custer. The state asked
shat the court make the custer decree Immediately
as We contended the Waters-Pierce company had
not compiled with the conditions laid down by the
Supreme Court. in the first instance"
Attorney General Major announced later that he
would ask for commissioner TO determine if the
Waters-Pierce company has severed all relations
with the Standard.
In their dissenting opinion fled with the order,
Justices woodson and La-nm hold that the Waters
Pierce company has not complied with the courts
order 10 withdraw from the trust" relation with
the other companies.