The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-12-31
Conference of Executives
Behind Closed Doors.
Van SAINTS Plans Will Probably
Be the Ones Adopted.

! t0rney generals OF the northwest |
I states. called to consider plans for op-
posing the proposed consolidation of |
/ the Northern Pacific, Great Northern
and Burlington railway systems.
From the discussion at these meet /
] ings, however, il is considered prOba- |
bic that the plan OF Governor Van |
/ SAINT of Minnesota viii be endorsed by !
! the executives Of other states who |
were present, and that the fight |
/ against the railroad consolidation viii ]
/ be carried to a finish. What this plan
is Governor Van SAINT refused to state |
until the meeting tomorrow morning |
shall have taken action.
The meetings were held in Governor
( TOOle's private Office and behind closed |
/ doors. There were present, besides /
/ Governor T-Ole and Attorney General
! Donovan of Montana Governor Van
( san and Attorney General Douglas OF
/ Minnesota. Governor Herried and At
/ torney General Pyle of South Dakota, |
Governor Hunt and Attorney General
( Martin of Idaho and Attorney General |
Stratton of Washington, Governor Nc |
Bride of that state not being able to
be present on account of the death of
/ Governor Rogers.
Governor Van SAINT Speaks.
Governor White of North Dakota was
also expected to attend the conference, /
and in fact had telegTaphed Governor
Van SAINT that he would be present. In
a later telegram, however, he stated
that it was Impossible for him to at
I tend the meetings. The meeting was
/ organized by the election Of Governor
Van SAINT as chairman and Attorney
/ General Martin of Idaho, secretary.
After reading Governor Whites COM
municatiOn. stating that he would not
be present Governor Van SAINT made
/ q brief speech in regard to the Objects'I
of the meeting. giving brief history
| of the proposed railway consolidation
and the effect he believed it would
have on the states affected.
THE state of Minnesota" said the
governor, has had on her statute
books for more than twenty-five years
laws prohibiting the consolidation in
any way of parallel and competing
lines of railway. It has been the set
I tied policy of our state to maintain a
free, open and unrestricted COMPETE
ton in freight and passenger rates.
The Great NJttb and Northern Pa
ciic Railway mics operate par
allel and &C sn.rg lines of railway
within the state They are practically
the only roads which furnish any
transportation facilities to the north
ern half of the state with the eXcep-
ton Of the two known as the iron ore
roads "
1T has been recently announced that
Mr.. Hill and his assistants have OBJ
tanned the control of the Northern Pa
cfic Railroad company and intend to
operate the same jointly with the Great
Northern and in effect bring about
J consolidation ny removing al compe-
tition and all rivalry between these
roads To this end the Northern Sc
curities company was organized IN
New Jersey to secure a controlling
amount of the stock of the Great
Northern and Northern Pacific Rail-
road companies in exchange for It's
own stock. and il is through this COM
panv that the unity Of management
and control is to be effected. As soon
as this fact became known to me, j
felt it my duty as governor to do ev~
erything in my official power to op-
pose the consolidation or amalgama-
fiou of these properties within the
state Of Minnesota.
Says It Is Illegal.
Of there is such a consolidation con-
I lamplated. and that fact seems to be
practically conceded, it is an open vio-
Iation OF the law. as well as the de-
cIared public policy of the state OF
I Minnesota. and I feel that I should be
negligent of my duties as the O11iCiai
head OF the state if 1 remained qUies-
cent under such circumstances. nave
been informed that the states which
you gentlemen represent as governors
and attorney generals have cOnstitu-
tional or statute laws similar in effect
to those of the state of Minnesota, and
that this was a question IN which our
state was l.ot alone interested.
Acting upon this belief l took the
liberty of asking for this conference Of
governors and attorney. generals of the
various states through which these
two roads run, believing that all such
states were equally interested in main
tanning the principle heretofore as
serted in the state Of Minnesota, and
/ reasserted here in its objee ton to this
consolidation. I felt that the inter-
ests were so vast and at the same
time similar to those Of our own state,
that the states Of which you gentlemen
are the Official heads should be con-
suited and. If possible, such methods
/ of procedure adopted as would be uni
form.
Great Losses From Combination.
THE people of the state of Mime
sofa. feeling certain that competition
has been the chief factor III her de-
Velopment and equally certain that its
destruction would result in the great
est loss 20 both producer and con
sumner. has determined to oppose this
consolidation. This determination is
not entered into with any spirit Of
hostility toward railroads.
"Our state has dealt literally with
them, and has decided to the various
railroads operating within the state
more than 100000 acres Of land, or more
land than is under cultivation bY the
people Of Minnesota, and by the state
and national gOTernment at Washing
ton. some 10000. 900 acres, being double
the cultivated acreage II the hands Of
the agricultural population.
In view of this ard other privileges
granted by the state. it is but just TO
say that railway companies owe re-
oiprocal duties 10 the public, including
cheerful obedience 10 our laws.
should be pleased TO hear from each Of
you gentlemen on the subject, and
some general expression as to the pol
icy which the people of the northwest,
through you, their representatives, be-
Iieve to be best for the public welfare"
II wish the Associated Press would
state for me-" said Governor Van SAINT
this evening. that VIII not make any
statement on this matter until the
conclusion CT the conference. 1 have
received q score Of kilograms asking
I me for statements in regard to my