Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1909-01-01
STANDARD OIL IS
FOREVER OUSTED
FROM MISSOURI
Evidence Showed Combinations
to Regulate Prices to
Retailers.

jefferson City, Mo-, Dec. 20
The supreme court Of Missouri
landed down a decision today
yusting the Standard Oil com
,any of Indiana and the Republic
Dill company from the state of
lissouri and forbidding them ever
sgain to do business in Missouri,
nd dissolving Waters-Pierce Oil
company, of st. Louis.
In addition each of the com
,anies was fined $4,000.
The order dissolving the Wa
ers-Pierce Oil company is to be
come effective January Is, unless
he company on or before that
late furnishes to the supreme
io,yt satisfactory evidence that it
n ends to operate as an indepen-
lent concern.
A Conspiracy.
The court finds the companies con-
lpired to regulate and fix the prices TO
,etail dealers to control and limit trade
n refined products OF petroleum. and
% prevent competition In buying n
selling these products: to mislead the
public in the belief that rney were sep
lrate corporations, pursuing indepen-
iently their business as legitimate
competitors.
Suit to GUST the three companies was
instituted by Attorney General Hadley
n 1906. Evidence was taken by spe-
sial commissioners in st. Louis and In
New York. II has been before the
,tate supreme court for more than d
sear.
Seven Judges Concur.
The opinion was written by Judge
Woodson. All seven judges concur
Judges Graves and Lamb wrote sep
trate ~concurring opinions.
Judge Lamb, ~concurring as TO the
iction against the Standard and Re
public companies, adds that I'm his be-
ief the Waters-Pierce OIL company
should be fined $1,000, 900 instead of
$50, 900.
Judge Graves, in his opinion, thinks
he Waters Pierce company should not
be dissolved. He said the evidence
showed that H. Clay Pierce, who owns
10 per cent of the capital stock of the
company, did all in his power to pre-
rent 1t from going into the trust, ever
OSIIlS HIS pOSilioH 40 RiCSiuChN u ShS
company on hat account. The minor
ty stockholders, Judge Graves says,
.ould not help themselves; they hould
De protected. While Judge Graves
Urged a greater punishment for the
Standard Of Indiana n Republic OF
ohio, yet II was due to his influence
hat the Waters Pierce Oil company
vas not absolutely ousted from Mis-
souri,.
The opinion of Judge Woodson,
| which was concurred In by other
Judges, states the record shows the
Standard has beer guilty of unlawful
means in the formation OF the trust to
| control the output of oil and prices
vt which 1t is sold to dealers.
Word for Pierce.
In conclusion his report, which covers
100 typewriter pages, Judge Woodsor
a v the action in giving the Waters
Pierce Oil company time in which tc
sever it's connections with the trust ID
taken to protect the minority stock
holders. The evidence, it Is said, dis
closes a majority of interests in the
company were owned by the New Jer-
sey company and that these interests
displaced II. Clay Pierce, president OF
the Waters-Pierce company, because OF
his persistent efforts to conduct the af'
fairs of the company independent Of
the Standard. The punishment, he says
should be severe enough to meet tn,
crime committed against the state, blu,
the good faith of a minority of the
stockholders should be recognized.