Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1901-11-28
VAN SAINT MOVES
ASKS GOVERNORS OF WESTERN
STATES TO JOIN IN 4 con-
FERENCE.
TO BLOCK the CONSOLIDATION
HILL AND HARTMAN MAY RETIRE
FROM NORTHERN PACIFIC
DIRECTORATE.
TO BLOCK the CONSOLIDATION
RtCE'vf2SnIP MAY BE ASKED
NEW YORK LAWYER DROPS 4
BOMB IN THE RANKS OF THE
TRUSTMAkERS.

yesterday Sent out to the governors Of
Nor'h Dakota, Montana. Idaho and
washington letters stating the facts so
Tar as he has ascertained them with va.
gafa to the attempted consolidation of
me Northern Pacific and Great North
ern railroads. and asking for their
opinion as to What action should he
undertaken.
Inc governor declined to give OH, the
text OF the letter, and .declined. to
state anything more than its general
PurFort' as given above. Should the
other governors be favorable to united
action, it is probable that a conference,
VIII be called for an early date. and it
Will very likely be held in St. Paul. all
though it is possible that it might ba
called at Helena, since that is about
halfway between this city and Olym-
pia or Boise.
IL is not improbable that the consol-
ldat1on may first be attacked in the
federal court. There are several ways
in which this could be done and If re-
mains Tor the attorney general to in
most likely to be successful. The mode
of procedure will not be determined
until ample consideration has been
given the subject by the legal authors
ties of the state.
Hill May Retire From Northern Pa
CHIC Directorate.
A New York telegram saws:
According to Wall street report.
believed to be based on good authori->
ty, certain changes in the Northern
Pacific directorate are to re made in
view of the agitation in Minnesota
against the joint operation of the
Northern Pacific and Great Northern
railroads. Influential interests in the
organization of the Northern Securities
company said that, while they believed
that the compary's plans for controll-
ing the Northern Pacific and Great
Northern railroads could not be upset
through legal Proceedings based on
that they conf1icted with
characterization laws of the different
states. some changes might be forced.
1t was held by these interests that
there was a question as to whether
President Hill of the Great Northern
railway, under a strict Interpretation
of the present law, had an uru,les-
toned right to be a member OF the
board Of directors of the Northern
Pacific railroad. The same doubt ex-
listed as to the right of E. H Har,i-
man, chairman of the Union Pacific
to be a member of the Northern Pa
clfic board. It was asserted that it was
not impossible that both officers might
retire from the Northern Pacific
board
Keceivership May BE Asked.
A special telegram from New York to
the Minneapolis Times says:
Nothing has ever stirred the finan-
cial depths of this city as the pub
lished announcement that Gov. Van
SAINT would make strong stand
against the big railway merger in be-
half of the shippers and producers of
the Northwest. Under the outward
calm of Wall street there existed
greater alarm in the private Offices Of |
the giant trust managers than has
been felt there since the frigh.ful stock |
panic Of last May
ga way was found at last by the en-
emies of the Northern Securities to
smash the railroad trust just organ
lied in the Northwest with so much |
care. J. p. Norgans gigantic strength T
was put to the test yesterday to pre-
vent break in stock prices.
Eminent counsel was consulted by |!
a banker allied with one of the big |
syndicates. His lawyer told him that |
the Northern Securities as a company |
was absolutely impregnable.
But said the lawyer, any citizen /
Of the State of Minnesota may apply. /
through the attorney general of his I
state. to have receivers appointed for I
he Great Northern and for the North !
ern Pacific companies on the ground |
hat their controlling stockholders have
into conspiracy to violate the
avs under which the roads are
chartered. Visible evidence of this
is seen in the Northern Sc
;urities company. A court of inquiry
would be force1 to act on such a prop
lsiticn. Receivers would take charge
If the property of the two roads and
manage for the benefit Of stockholders.
The citizen need rot be a stockholder.'
"This opinion fell Like bomb in the
amp of the trustmakers'
FIRE WARDEN BUSY.