Potosi journal. (Potosi, Mo.) 1894-1929, 1909-11-17
SUIT AIMED AT
BIG COMPANY.
State immigration Commissioner
Curran to Bring Suit to Gust
Land Speculating Com
panyin This
County.

EIoLu 4uuTSuay UloOe-DenOcFat.
John H. Curran, chief of the
State Board of Immigration, and
Marion E. Rhodes, former con-
gresham and member of the Leg.
islatnre from Washington County,
Mo-, left for Jefferson City last
night. 1t was said Mr.. Rhodes,
who was acting as counsel for the
State Board of Immigration, in
tends to file an custer suit in the
Supreme Court today against a
corporation having large holdings
in Washington County on the
ground that it is holding its chart
er from the state illegally. Neither
Mr.. Curran nor Mr.. Rhodes would
discuss the matter last night. The
company is said to be capitalized
for several million dollars.
The company in question is one
of several, organized, it is said,
for speculative purposes, which
control nearly 10000 acres of land
in Washington County. This
property has been used by several
exploitation companies in the past.
The methods used by such com
panies, Mr.. Curran said, have
tended to retard the development
of Washington County. He is
acting under his duty as prescribed
by law, he says, in instigating suit
against the company. The suit
will be in the nature of an opening
wedge against the corporations
that restrict and prohibit proper
settlement and development of
lands.
Declares This Is His Function.
II expect the authority of the
state to back me up in this suit, "
Mr.. Curran said last night. 81
am required by law to use every
reasonable effort to open for set
tlement and cultivation all avail
able land in the state. The actions
of the company which l am going
to fight have been such as to con.
vince me that it is not holding the
land in good faith. 1t has not en-.
couraged the development Of the
land, giving unfavorable leases for
farm lands, and paying poor prices
for ore, where it allows any to be
taken out. The company at its in.
corporation laid itself liable under
the laws of the state to the reyoca.
ton of its charter and l am intend
ing to have this charter revoked if
the state will do it."
Mr.. Rhodes said: "Washington
County is suffering to day and has
been suffering for ten years on nc
count of large tracts of land being
held by corporations for purely
speculative purposes. Since the
land was purchased it has practi-
caIly been idle and nonproductive.
The company has for it's assets, so
far>as is visible, only this land,
which is worth not nearly what the
company is capitalized for.
Experience with previous Com
panies in the same county, operat-
ing under similar plans, has shown
that the property has not and could
not pay out ON any such abnormal
capitalization. Hence II large por-
ton Of the county is tied up. The
tenants on it exc out n bare exist.
ence.
No Development Results.
The people OF Washington Co,,n-
ty are not hostile to the present
corporation or to any corporation
so long as something is done to dc
velope the country, or they them
selves are allowed to do something
with it.
''As yet it has merely been ex-
| plotted to sell stock. Under the
precedent established by the case
Of the state ". Hogan. 1esd Mis-.