Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-15
BIC OIL KINGS NAY FIGHT
Rockefeller Corporations Disagree
Over Settlement with Missouri.
PIERCE DISLIKES STANDARD PLAN
Does Not Want state 10 Hold
stock In His Company
Legal Battle Is
Probable.
PIERCE DIsLIKEs STANDARD PLAN

ST LOUIS FEB. 2-That the Waters
Pierce OIL company OF Missouri will on Mon
day ask the supreme court Of this state for
a further stay OF execution on that Dor
ton Of the recent decree against It requiring
il TO loose itself from the domination Of the
Standard oil company OF New Jersey, was
the intimation emRnating from the offices
Of the local concern today. The fine OF
SrGa. which was assessed against the
WatsTs-Pierce company. probably will not
be contested, the attorneys for the corpora
ton saying that they see no recourse from
this portion Of the penalty.
The Waters-Pierce company did not toin
with the Standard OIL COMPANY OF Indiana
ana the Republic Oil company Of Ohio In
the proposition which was made TO the
supreme court recently BY which the state
would gain a direct voice in the manage
ment Of those corporations interests in Mis-
sour. Part of that proposition was that
the q per cent OF the Wsters-Pierce stock
held by the Standard company should be
placed in the hands OF trustees appointed
by the state and companies jointly. This.
the waters-Pierce management assert,
would result in preventing the Missouri
corporation from severing itself from the
foreign compsnys control and. they say,
would only strengthen the position OF the
tanuard in the state.
Big Fight In Prospect.
Il Is predicted unoffcially that the
Waters-Pieree company will ask the court
TO declare the holding OF It's stock by the
standAr interests illegal. on the ground
that such holding contrayenes the pTin-
cipls laid down BY the supreme court OF
the United States in the Northern Sc
curities case. II this attitude is adopted.
one Of the greatest legal battles between
corporations in the history Of the coun-
Try may follow
The Northern Securities case is relied
upon by the government in its suit 70
dissolve the Standard OIL compan Of New
Jersey. which is TO come up for gun
in the federal court here next month.
The probable attitude Of the Waters
Pierce company in the Missouri case was
intimsted after conferences today be-
tween 4 Clay Pierce, head Of the com
pany. and its attorneys M Pierce ar
rived here this morningand spent the day
with the lawyers He refused himself TO
interviewers.
VIII Ask Further Time.
The Waters-Pieroe company must make
a shONing Of its attempts TO comply with
the Missouri custer decree on Monday
next Originally the decree gave the COM
pany until January Is in which TO com
ply with the court order. On the assertion
Of the company al that time il had been
unable 10 secure the release Of its stock
from the STANDARD OIL company. the lime
was extended one month.
II is now said that the same plan viii
be brought forward N asking for a further
extension and the fact that the annual
meeting OF TIE stockholders OF the company
10 to bs held Tuesday probably will be
made ground for additional argument in
this regard. The entire matter is likely TO
be threshed out Al this meeting and il Is
thought that the court will be willing 70
give The company more time IN view Of this
fact.
II is the unexpressed d D q attorneys for
the Wa1ers-Pierce interests that The ex-
tensiCn. II granted viii place final ad-
Indication OF the case beyond the decision
Of the federal court IN the dissolution suit
50 that any favorable circumstances arising
from the big ease may rebound TO the full
est possible advantage Of the Missouri com
PAW.