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Show Standard, Republic and Waters-Pierce 1 I Combine Prohibited, in Sweeping IS Decision, From Doing Any More . H j Business in the State, I , EACH CORPORATION IS ALSO H PINED FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS H! Supreme Court, in Decision, Discusses at Length. mm . the Evil Results Due to Forcing Indepen- fm dents Out of the Field. Wm JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., Doc. 2S. Declaring that the Standard Oil company com-pany of Indiana.1 tho Republic Oil company com-pany of Ohio and tho Watcrs-Piorce Oil compauy of Missouri had conspired and combined to monopolize the oil 'business in" this state, the supreme court of Missouri Mis-souri today issued a decree ousting all throo from the commonwealth and fining fin-ing them .-;50,000 each. The decree against tho Waters-Pierce company is tempered by the proviso that it may continue in business if by January lil, 190D. it can show to tho court that it has taken steps to operate as an independent concern and has satisfied sat-isfied tho judgment against it. The I other companies aro given until March I I. 1901), lo wind up their affairs in the ! state. i Sweeping Decision. The decision, which was unanimous ou the part of, the seven judges, is so sweeping that Attorney General Iladley and Governor Folk hail it as tho ond of illegal commercial combinations in Missouri, and tho former asserts that in conjunction with the decision of the supremo court of the United States in the tobacco trust case il will affect similar sim-ilar suits in other states. I prosecutor tho Missouri caso since its j incoptiou in. March, 1905, will become goveruor in less thau a month aud then will bo charged with the enforcement of the decree issued todav. The attornoi general followed up tho promulgation of the decree by tho court with a statement in which ho asserted that attempts had been made to compromise com-promise tho suit. Hadlcy's Statement. "At least three efforts have been mado by attorneys for tho oil companies to get mo to compromise tho cases," ho said. "I invariably told them that tho ultimate decision must bo mado by tho courts, and rofused their offers. "It was intimated to me that the oil companies wero willing to accept a good largo fine and concede a' victory to tho state. The propositions wero never reduced re-duced to details, but. they wero entirely en-tirely lcgitimato aud fucIi .is might bo mado in any other form of litigation." In coming to its decision tho court says: "If such abuses as those complained of are permitted to continue untram-moled untram-moled it would be only a question of timo until thoy would S3p tho strength and patriotism from tho very foundations founda-tions of our government, overturn the republic, destroy our free institutions and substitute in lieu thereof somo other form of government. ' ' Gist of Indicttnonts. . The principal indictments aguiusi tho companies are: "That they havo created and become members of a pool. I rust, agreement, confederation, combination, arraugo-ment arraugo-ment and understanding among themselves them-selves for the following purposes: "First, to regulate, fix and control the prices to bo paid by retail dealers and others in the stato of Missouri for the refined products of petroleum sold and offered for sale in this state. "Second, to control and limit tho trado in refined products of petroleum in this state. "Third, to control, limit and preveut competition in tho business of buying and selling refined products of petroleum pe-troleum in this stato between themselves them-selves and others engaged iu liko business. busi-ness. "Fourth, to mislead iho public into the belief that they wore separate and distinct corporations and pursuing an independent business as lcgitimato competitors com-petitors in tho purchase and sale of tho products of petroleum." In explaining how tueso wrongful acts wero consummated the decision-say?: decision-say?: "" Workings of Combine. "Prices for the products of "petroleum, "petrol-eum, especially refined oils, illuminating oil and gasoline, are fixed by tho Wn-tcrs-Picrce company. It. sends out to tho trado card quotations, giving tank, wagon mid barrel prices. As n rule, those prices aro followed by all other" oil companies, including the independent indepen-dent companies, doing business in this state. As long as the independent companies com-panies do not reduce prices, or increase tho aggregate amount of their sales above JO to lfi per cent, of tho entire ninount of tho Falos mado in the stale, there is no war made upon them regarding regard-ing prices. But whenever au iudepen-dent, iudepen-dent, company reduces prices below thosa fixed by the Watcra-Pierco company, com-pany, or whenever their aggregate salt-s exceed 15 per cent, of all sales made in the state, vigorous warfare is waged against them, chiefly through the Republic Re-public company by means ot an elaborate elabor-ate svsteni of espionage in their business and.W cutting pricrs or giving rebates uytil tho indupondonis aro glad to throw up their hauds and say. 'Enough,' aud be contented to sell oil at tho prices and mm in the quantities prescribed by the Hi Waters-Pierce company and acquiesced Hr in by the Indiana and Republic coin- HBl ' Trust Fixes Prices. HB; "And as a result of this method, tho H Waters-Pierce company fixes tho prices Hffi for which all tuch oils arc sold iu the HH state by all dealers, including the indc- MP) pendent companies, aud at the same HKl timo aud by these moans it controls and IHa monopolizes for itself and the Indiana He and Republic Oil conipnnics from So BKl to 95 per cent, of the entiro oil business Uh of the state. Hi? "The common interest running UEi through all of these companies is re- sponsible for Ihoir formation and bus- SHu ine.ss schemes and policies and lead up HBl! to and induce tho Standard interests, Hit including tho respondeilts, to divide tho Iflffi 4k state iu twain; to fufuish oil and trans- H!' po.rtatiou for euch other; to decline lo flu soli to or to transport oils for tho inde- H0i pendeutd, and to light them with the flr' Republic company by a system of WRt espionage and rebates. WB1! "The direct effect of thoso rates, nH"' which aro not seriously disputed, was mm j to create by indirection, a pool, trust B9 (j and combination in restraint of trade Ijjfl I; and to fix and maintain prices at which Hi! i respondents sold tho products of petrol- SM "cum iu this state." Br Long-Pending Suit. Bn The state's ouster suit, against the III Standard, Republic and WatersrPierce Mm 1 ' companies was instituted almost four mm '' ' JOArsarfo. Tho evidence was -,taknafriti 'Is ' , St. Louis and in 3Tew York, whore '11. Mm timm H.- Rogers, principal witness, was com- H I pelle'l to testify nefore a special com- I missioncr. HI'-' At. the name timo John D. Rockefeller. 8 I ij was compellod to remain in New Jersey I to avoid. Hadlcy's subpoena servers, it mm ' being Hadley's wish to place the-aged 19 i oil king ou the witness stand. Wwi The evidence has been before the IB' state Supreme Court for a year. Owing ! 16 its coal and mining importance, it HB was. considered by tho-entire court. AH HB: seven judges concurred in the opinion HB' which was written by Judge Woodson. HB" That tho decision as to tho Wators- Hrl ' Pierco company represents a compromise Ha , is shown by separate concurring opin- ions filed by Judges Lamm, and Grave?, HB Judge Lamm ho'diug that the Waters- ', Pierce company should be fined $1,000.- " 000 instead of .JJoO.OOO. Judge Graves's BO i opinion is that the Waters-Pierce com- HH -j pan- should not be deprived of its cor- MB J poratc franchise. Uu takes this ground BjW -J to protect the minority stockholders. i |