Effective 28 Aug 1939

276.030. Unlawful to refuse membership to any applicant — subject to criminal and civil laws. — It is hereby declared unlawful for any such association or organization to refuse membership or to unreasonably delay the granting of membership in such association or organization to any applicant for membership because of the manner, times or method in which such applicant intends to or does distribute the profits of such applicant to the persons composing any partnership in which the applicant is financially interested or to the shareholders of any corporation or cooperative association in which the member is a shareholder, and any refusal on the part of such association or organization to admit to membership or any unreasonable delay in admitting to membership any applicant for membership who intends to or does distribute to the persons composing any partnership in which the applicant is financially interested or to the shareholders of any corporation or cooperative association in which such applicant is a shareholder, the profits of such applicant to the persons composing such partnership or to the shareholders of such corporation or cooperative association, in proportion to the quantity of cattle, hogs or sheep shipped to or from such member by the persons composing such partnership or the shareholders of such corporation or cooperative association, shall be prima facie evidence that such refusal or such unreasonable delay is because such applicant for membership intends to or does so distribute the profits of such applicant, and any such applicant for membership shall have the right to have the action of such association or organization, in refusing or unreasonably delaying the issuance of said membership, summarily reviewed by the circuit court by filing therein a petition praying the circuit court to cause such association or organization to show cause why it has refused or unreasonably delayed the issuance of said membership, and if, upon the trial, such association or organization fails to show some lawful and reasonable cause for refusing or unreasonably delaying the issuance of said membership to such applicant for membership, then the circuit court shall, by proper order, compel the issuance of said membership to such applicant; provided, that any limitation fixed by such association or organization, or by the members thereof, as to the number of members admitted to membership therein, shall not be a lawful or a reasonable cause for refusing or unreasonably delaying the issuance of membership to such applicant for membership; and provided further, that the review provided for in this section shall be merely cumulative and shall in no way relieve such association or organization, or any member thereof, from the criminal or civil proceedings provided for in sections 276.010 to 276.080.

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(RSMo 1939 § 14385)

Prior revision: 1929 § 12727