The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-11
ABSOLUTE CUSTER
MISSOURI SUPREME COURT OVER RULES STANDARD OILS MO
 TON FOR MODIFICATION.
HE WATERS PIERCE COMPANY SAVED
Court Holds That St. Louis Concern Has Complied With Requirements of Decree of December g Last Standards Partnership Proposal Ig- nored-A Dissenting Opinion.

Jefferson City. Mar. 10.-The SUI preme court in banc has overruled the motion of the Standard Oil company of Indiana for a modification of the judg- ment of custer and made the order of custer absolute The court ignored the Standards much discussed propo- sition to take the state into partner ship.
 The court also overruled the motion of the attorney general to make the decree of custer in the case of tho Waters-Pierce oil company absolute and held that the Waters-Pierce oil company has complied with the re- quirements of the decree of December 23, 1908. Judge Lamm and Judge Woodson dissent.
 The net result Is that the Standard Oil company of Indiana is busted ab- solutely except for such protection as it can get from the federal court. The Waters-Pierce company, on the con trary. Is given clean bill of health and may continue in business in Mis- souri.
 
 sentng opinion in which Judge Lamm concurred, quoted the return made by the Waters-Pierce company when 1t paid it's fine and the statute under which the companies yere prosecuted.
 The court had ordered the Waters Pierce company to pay fine of s5O,- GOO, and furnish satisfactory proof that 1t had severed all trust relations with any company violating the law. Judge Woodson says the company compiled with the first part, but did not com ply with the last.
 The decision is considered a great victory for the Waters Pierce com pany and incidentally for the minority interests of that concern who assert they have been making unavailing ef- forts to free the company from control by the New Jersey corporation. With this object in view they declined to approve the proposition made by the Standard Oil company of Indiana that that company be allowed to continue business in the state under a trustee? ship composed of representatives of the court and the company.
 This proposition excited the liveliest interest, in that t would have given to the state a measure of direct con trol of corporations affairs. had 1t been adopted by the court. But it was ignored in the announcement by the chief justice which simply said that the motion for a modification of the custer decree had been overruled.
 With the judgment of custer made absolute against the Standard oil com pany of Indiana and the Republic oil company those concerns must now pay their fines of s50.000 each and cease business in the state.
 The s50.000 fine assessed against the Waters-Pierce company has been paid. In conjunction with the certified check which the Missouri company filed with the clerk of the court there was pre- sented a document accepting the courts original decree which carried l conditional permit to continue busI- ness. These provisions included one that the company must be reorganized SO as to be free from Standard oil con- rol. There was nothing in the docu- nent to show that this had been done and on this basis the attorney general moved that the custer decree be made -ffectiye at once