Page:The History of the Standard Oil Company Vol 2.djvu/420

 elected to fill a vacancy arising from any cause except expiration of term, who shall be elected for the balance of the term of the trustee whose place they are elected to fill. Every trustee shall hold his office until his successor is elected.

6th. Trustees shall be elected by ballot by the owners of trust certificates or their proxies. At all meetings the owners of trust certificates, who may be registered as such on the books of the trustees, may vote in person or by proxy, and shall have one vote for each and every share of trust certificates standing in their names, but no such owner shall be entitled to vote upon any share which has not stood in his name thirty days prior to the day appointed for the election. The transfer books may be closed for thirty days immediately preceding the annual election. A majority of the shares represented at such election shall elect.

7th. The annual meeting of the owners of said trust certificates for the election of trustees, and for other business, shall be held at the office of the trustees in the City of New York, on the first Wednesday of April of each year, unless the place of meeting be changed by the trustees, and said meeting may be adjourned from day to day until its business is completed. Special meetings of the owners of said trust certificates may be called by a majority of the trustees, at such times and places as they may appoint. It shall also be the duty of the trustees to call a special meeting of holders of trust certificates whenever requested to do so by a petition signed by the holders of ten per cent. in value of such certificates. The business of such special meetings shall be confined to the object specified in the notice given thererfor. Notice of the time and place of all meetings of the owners of trust certificates shall be given by personal notice so far as possible, and by public notice in one of the principal newspapers of each state in which a Standard Oil Company exists, at least ten days before such meeting. At any meeting, a majority in value of the holders of trust certificates represented consenting thereto, by-laws may be made, amended, and repealed relative to the mode of the election of trustees, and other business of the holders of trust certificates; provided, however, that said by-laws shall be in conformity with this agreement. By-laws may also be made, amended, and repealed at any meeting, by and with the consent of a majority in value of the holders of trust certificates, which alter this agreement relative to the number, powers, and duties of the trustees, and to other matters tending to the more efficient accomplishment of the objects for which the trust is created; provided only, that the essential intents and purposes of this agreement be not thereby changed.

8th. Whenever a vacancy occurs in the board of trustees, more than sixty days prior to the annual meeting for the election of trustees, it shall be the duty of the remaining trustees to call a meeting of the owners of Standard Oil Trust certificates for the purpose of electing a trustee or trustees to fill the vacancy or vacancies. If any vacancy occurs in the board of trustees, from any cause, within sixty days of the date of the annual meeting for the election of trustees, the vacancy may be filled by a majority