The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-12-23
TO MEET IN HELENA
GOVERNORS OF NORTHWESTERN
STATES WILL ASSEMBLE.
RAILROAD MERGER THE TOPIC
Chief Executives Of Many States Will
y Discuss the Legality Of the Organ
ization Of Northern Securi-
ties Company.
Especial to Inter Mountain.)

uy
Helena, Dec. 23.-In response to an in
quiry from Governor S. r. Van SAINT
OF Minnesota, Governor Toole has adj
vlsed the governor of the North Star
| state that December 30 will be a conven-
eRent date for the proposed meeting of
RgoVernors and attorney generals of the
northwestern states to consider the le-
gality of the organization of the North
Fern Securities company.
Governor Toole received a brief mes
sage from the governor of Minnesota
asking If the date named would be ac-
ceptable to him, and he replied that it
would.
The meeting will be held in Helena,
presumably in the governors office, and
will bring together the governors and at
torney generals of Montana, Washing
ton, North and South Dakota, Minnesota
as well as the states through which the
Burlington road runs.
No word has been received by Gov
ernOr TOole as to how many of the off,
Gals of the states named will be in at
tendance. Governors of all the states
interested have been notified of the meet
Ing, and from the magnitude of the deal
and the public sentiment on both sides
of the question Governor Toole regards
it as very likely that there will be a good
Governor s. r. Van SAINT of Minnesota.
who took the initiative in the opposition
to the Great Northern railway merger,
is a resident of Winona, Mimi, and his
prominence in politics does not date
back further than eight years. He was
elected member of the house of repre-
sentatives in 1895 and speaker of the
house in 1897.
During the same year he was a candi-
date for the republican nomination as
governor, but was defeated and William
H. Eustis of Minneapolis made the race
and was defeated by John Lind, popu-
klist democrat free silver republican can
didate. Receiving the nomination for
governor in June of 1900. he was elected
and was inaugurated as governor of
Minnesota the first of the year.
|. Captain Van SAINT the present COVER
nor .of Minnesota, is we'll known, and
was for many years a river captain on
+ the Mississippi river and enjoys a large
acquaintance among the river naviga-
tors from the head Of navigation at st.
Paulto st. Louis.
He is of German descent, and has an
Independent fortune of his own. He
owns several large steamboats, on the
Mississippi, and is interested in the lum-
Der industry of Minnesota and Wiscon-
SIN, tnat mas maze SO many men Flcn.
Governor Van SAINT is a short, stout
man, with bristling eyebrows and a
heavy, black mustache. He is capital
Story teller. and is quite popular. He is
a man Of wide experience, and If the in
vestigation which he has started proves
that the Northern Securities company is
organized in violation of the trust laws
Of the states through which the rail-
roads interested pass it is certain that
he will pursue his crusade for a DISCO
luton of the combine to the end.
Governor Toole in his reply to Cover
nor Van SAINTS letter of several weeks
ago asking for the cooperation of Mon
tana's chief executive, stated that he
stood willing and anxious to see the law
enforced Aside from the merits or de-
merits Of the consolidation of the roads,
Governor Toole stated that he would in
terest himself in an investigation which
would look principally to the legal ques-
ton involved.
/ The selection of Montana as the meet
ing place of the governors and their legal
advisors is made because it will proba-
Bly, be more convenient for all concerned
TO meet in Helena.