Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-03-10
SUPREME COURT
DECIDES AGAINST
OIL COMP ANIES
OHIO AND INDIANA SUBSlD-
IARIES LOSE CUSTER CASE
TWO BRANCH CONCERNS Ex-
PEELED FROM MISSOURI
Watsrs-Pierce Firm Restored and
100000 Fine Will Be Paid
Into States Treasury
at Once

JEFFERSON, Mo-. March 9.-The
motions by the standard Oil COM
~ many of Indiana and the Repupic
oil comnnny of Ohio for a rehearlhg
of the custer suit recently declueI
. eainst them and for modification OF
the Judgment were overruled by the
Missouri supreme court today
The position of the waters lel o .s
oil company was upheld the motion OF
tho attorney general for an absolute
custer of the Missouri company being
denied. the compliance with the court
recently filed by the company belng APP
nroved and the judgment of custer
against II being suspended.
The effect of these decisions is 10 en-
mel the Indiana and Ohio companies
from Missouri and to restore the
pierce company. so per cent OF
whose stock is held by the standard
ON company of New Jersey, the right
To do business within the state
No formal opinion in the premises
was read. Justice Valiant simply an
nouncing the gist of the court de-
cision. Justices Lamm and Woousoh
dissented. .,s
IN anpeal from the decision and carry
their case to the supreme court OF the
United States. -.
THE decision is considered great
victory for the Waters-Pierce com
pany and incidentally for the minority
interests of that concern, who claim 20
have been making unaYailing eHorts 10
free this company from control ny 'iie
New Jersey corporation.
With this object in view, they ue-
clined to approve the proposition made
bv the Standard Oil of Indiana tnat
that company be allowed to continue
business in the state under a trustee
shin composed of representatives OF the
court and the company.
Must Pay Fines
with the Judgment of custer made
absolute against the Standard Oil conf
many of Indiana and the Republic On
company those concerns must now pay
their fines of $4,000 each ana cease
business in the state. The $4,000 fine
assessed against the Waters-Pierce
company has been paid.
In conjunction with the certineu
checlx which the Missouri company filed
with the clerk of the court there was
presented a document accepting the
courts original decree Which carried
conditional permit to continue BUSINESS,
These provisions included one that
the company must be reorganized SO as
TO be free from Standard OIL control
There was nothing in the document 10
show that this had been done, and on
this basis the attorney general moved
that the custer decree be made effective
at once.
When informed of the courts action
today Attorney General Major sald:
"The supreme courts decision simply
means that the Whters-Plerce coiii-
pany will not be ousted from the state
at This time. However. the original
Judgment of the court will stand
against II, so that if 1t violates the
courts decision the state can renew lts
application for custer.
1.-THE state asked that the court make
the custer decree immediate, as we
commended that the Waters-Pierce COM
nany had not complied with the con-
ditions laid down by the supreme court
in the first instance.
The following order was made by
the court in relation to the waters
Pierce company:
Money Is Accepted
1.-THE Waters-P Pierce Oil company,
having rendered into court the amount
of the fine imposed upon 1t by the
Judgment of this court and having
given satisfactory evidence of its pur-
nose henceforth so to conduct its busl-
ness as not to violate the law IN TINS
state relative to pools, trusts, ETC., IL
is the order of this court that the
clerk receive the money so rendered
and pay the same into the state treas
ury. and it is further ordered that the
Judgment of this court of date of De-
cember 20, 1908. ousting the Waters
Pierce company of its charter and ad-
Judging all its rights and privileges
hereunder forfeited and annulled be
and the same is hereby suspended I'M
til otherwise ordered by the court, but
the court will retain jurisdiction or
the case for the people setting aside
and annullng this order or modifying
the same if the court should hereafter
on motion of the attorney general or
its own motion become satisfied that
the Waters Pierce Oil company is at
that time or has been conducting its
business in a manner forbidden by the
laws of this state in relation to pools,
trusts and conspiracies.
In their dissenting opinion filed with
the order. Justices Woodson and Lamm
has not complied with the courts or
der to withdraw from the trust" re-
lation with the other companies.
Attornel General Major said tonight
he probably would apply to the su
preme court for the appointment of a
to take evidence as to
whether the Waters-Pierce Oil COM
pany and the Standard Oil company
had severed their relations in fact.
After this was done. he said, it was
for the supreme court to saw whether
the Waters-Pierce company had filed
with the court sufficient evidence to
prove that it had severed relations
with the Standard
GOVERNMENT TO Am END