Mexico weekly ledger., 1915-02-04
SUIT AGAINST SHOE COM
PAAY FIRST OF IT'S KIND

The suit of the State Of Missouri
VS.. the international Shoe Co., for
$4,000 is the first to be
brought under the statute involved,
lawyers Of Mexico asserts. The suit
is brought under Section S042 of the
Revised Statutes of 1909, which pro-
vides that a factory or business
which has accepted grants Of land,
money or other property as a consid-
Grafton for the location Of the plant
in a city or town may not be discon-
tinued or reduced materially without
repaying all money or restoring land
and other property accepted as a
bonus. Interest must be paid on the
money or for the use Of the land and
property, the statute stipulates.
No Statement From Mexico.
A committee from the Commercial
Club composed of S. j. Buckner,
Fred A. Morris and Nate Phillip
Friday morning, called upon A. c.
Whitson, prosecuting attorney, who
brought the suit, but would make no
statement in regard to what action
they took. They merely state they
will say nothing until the shoe COM
pany has let it be known what it in
tends doing. Astatement from Mr..
Whitson appears in the editorial col
umn of this paper. AS yet no state
ment has been made by officials of the
shoe company as they have not been
officially notified of the suit and have
received no copy of the petition.
jackson johnson president of the
shoe company said the International
people had bought the factory from
the Morris Shoe Company with a
clear title. He said he had formed
no plans to combat the suit and that
the attitude of tAe shoe company
was that it had not yet been made
defendant. The obligation of the
Morris Company to disbursce $780,
900 in wages to employees here, Mr..
johnson said, was fulfilled.
He said it was planned to reopen
the plant at Mexico as early as in
dustrial conditions would permit.
The Statute Involved.
Section 3042 says: 1T shall be I'M
lawful for any corporation doing bus
mess in this State at any time, or for
the officers, agents or others having
control of the corporation or of the
business or property of such corpora
ton, to move, abandon or discontinue,
in any way, to any material extent,
any factory, workshop, agency or
other establishment, or the work OF
business carried on therein, from or
in any city, town or other place with
in this State, without first repaying
or restoring any and all money, bonds,
lands, and other property which have
been or shall hereafter be given or
granted as a consideration or induce
ment for the location or construction,
operation, enlargement or mainten-
ance at any such city, town OF place
of such factory, workshop, office,
agency or establishment, OIL of the
work or business carried on thereat;
and such repayment or restoration
must include and be accompanied by
the payment of lawful interest on
such money, bonds, lands and other
property, or upon the proceeds or
reasonable value thereof, for the full
period that shall have elapsed be-
tween the date of the original gift or
grant and such final repayment and
restoration"
$1,000 Fine Provided.
Section 3045 says "Any share
holder, officer, agent or other person
violating any of the provisions of
Sections 3042 and BOAT, inclusive,
shall be punished by Imprisonment
for not more than one year or by a
fine not to exceed 1000, or by both
such fine and Imprisonment. Any
corporation violating any Of the prov
isions of said sections shall be pun
ished by a fine of $1,000 for each day
that shall elapse between such act Of