	baker int l bko hopes to complete merger baker international corp treasurer eric mattson said the company hoped to iron out snags in a proposed merger with hughes tool co ht but declined to say if or what compromises might be acceptable to it the proposed merger that would create a billion dlr oilfield services company was thrown into limbo yesterday when hughes management balking at the terms of a government consent decree offered a counter proposal to baker earlier today hughes adjourned a shareholders meeting called to vote on the proposed merger until march and said it hoped to resume negotitations with baker hughes chairman w a kistler told reporters that hughes did not want to sign the department of justice consent decree until after baker s submersible pump and drilling bit operations were sold mattson told reuters that baker still believed a merger was possible between the two giant oilfield service companies the company s position is we would like to see the merger be completed which is in the best interests of our shareholders and their shareholders mattson said our goal is for a merger to occur because of the litigation i can t go any further than that he said baker filed a lawsuit in texas state court late yesterday to force hughes to abide by terms of the proposed consent decree mattson also declined to comment on whether the directors of baker and hughes have scheduled any meetings to discuss the merger reuter 
