The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-01-08
RAILROADS RUNNING THROUGH
THE DAKOTAS
HOLD A MEETING IN ST. PAUL.
CONFERENCE HELD TO MAKE Pos-
SIBLE CONSISTENT ACTION
ON THE PART
OF ALL INTERESTED COMPANIES.
Action Most Important, as 1t Almost
Involves the Power of the
Roads to Earn Expenses.

Traffic and legal officials of the roads
interested in the chancery suits now
pending in the circuit courts Of North
and South Dakota, to test the right of
the South Dakota railroad commission
to fix maximum rates." came to st.
Paul yesterday and conferred with
those already here as to the general
plan Of action to be followed by the
various plaintiff companies relative to
the amount and character of testi-
mony, and how 1t is to be introduced.
The meeting was held in the offices Of
Judge Wilson, general counsel Of the
Omaha road, during the morning, and
there were many prominent railroad
lawyers and executives present to dis
cuss the matter.
1t will be recalled that last winter
the South Dakota legislature passed an
act authorizing the commission to fix
maximum rates, and in pursuance the
commission advertised and were about
to put in effect these rates. when tho
different railroad lines interested,
claiming that the rates about to be
promulgated were SO low as to amount
TO confiscation. commenced suits en-
Joining the commission from either ad-
vertising or putting into effect the new
reduced maximum rates These suits
are now pending, and the time to in,
troduce proof is at hand. hence the
meeting yesterday. Being chancery
suits, the evidence Is to be by deposit
ton. The cases will be tried before
United States Judges Amidon and Car
land, Of the district court, who will
hold court for North and South Dakota
at Fargo and Sioux Falls.
The cases are considered Of much
more than ordinary Importance, and
the railroad end of the situation will
be carefully looked after, as may be
seen from the array of legal talent on
hand yesterday. The lawyers and traf-
fic men present included Senator Man
derson. cago-Burlington; George r.
Peck, Milwaukee; M. D. Grover, Great
Northern; S. K. Tracey, Burlington,
Cedar Rapids & Northern; c. w. Bum,
Northern Pacific; Messrs. Watson, Of
Fargo, who represented the Northern
Pacific and Great Northern locally;
Kittredge, of Sioux Falls, local repre-
sentative of the Milwaukee; White, of
Omaha, representing the Fremont, Elk
horn & Missouri Valley; l.. w. Bow
ers, Of the Chicago & Northwestern,
and Judge Wilson, of the Omaha.
1t is the talk among the railroad law
yers that the railroad commissions or
both North and South Dakota have
for some years hampered in several
ways the successful operation of the
roads entering these states, and al
though the question now at issue af-
fects simply the roads entering the two
states, it has a bearing on all roads,
and the outcome of these cases will be
patiently waited for. The lawyers ex-
plain that the conference was simply
to make possible consistent action ON
the part Of all the interested roads,
and to that end the legal representa-
tives had asked for the meeting at
which many of the traffic officials
were present or available. Some of
the visitors returned to their homes
last night, while the balance will re-
main here until this evening.