The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-02-06
MERCER. OF PACIFIC
VIGOROUS MESSAGE TO THE 5 MINNESOTA LEGTsLATURE.
Governor Van Sant Believes North ,, ern Securities Company Was
 Formed for the Purpose of z z Evading the Law.

St. Paul. Miun., Feb. 5.--At 1o:3o o'clock before the session of the Legislature which had been assembled In e7tra @ ses- Commission and the measures presented by that body for enactment, Governor Van Sant today read his message.
 After reciting the occasion for the ex- tra session to be the desire to secure of the State, he urged that immediate action on the .natter be taken looking to the passage of laws suggested by the commission. He argued against any dis. crimination in the laws. especially against those which might make the poor bear an unequal share of the burdens of taxa ton. He endorsed permanent Tax Cem' mission.
 so-called railroad merger. of which he says: Company corporation was organized for the purpose of eyading and violating the properties of the Great Northern and Pacific Companies, which companies run parallel and competing lines of railroads within the State. I requested Attorney General Douglas to bring spit-in the name s Sf the State to prevent such consolida-
 He then quotes from the statutes oov- ering the case. and continues: Thai the Northern Securities Company can. anu II uOI pTGVCnt6u Uy bu0 COhL tS merge or consolidate the lines and prop erty of the two railroad companies un- der one management, Is evidenced by reference to certain sections of the ar ticles of incorporation of the Northern Securities Company.
 '"The Northern Securities Company is authorized not only to vote the stock of the Great Northern and Northern Rail- way Companies and thus exercise all the powers and privileges of ownership and ftnf anaNifiNaI1U the rnr- poration to do any acts or things design- ed to enhance the value of the stock of the companies mentioned. which, of course, includes the right to increase freight rates directly or to change the classification of freight so as to increase the rates.
 "Knowing that several other States in addition to Minnesota would be affected to call a conference of the Governors and Attorney Generals of the States through which the lines of railway pass in order that some unifoEm method of procedure held at Helena. Mont. There were pres ent the Governors and Attorney-Gen not only of our State. but of Montana South Dakota and Idaho and the At torney General of Washington. Owing tc the death of the Governor of the last named State just prior to the conference his successor Governor Mcbride. wal unable to attend. Governor Mcbride has since called the attention of the people of his etc the dangers threatened by the consolidation of these companies.
 ''The conference was harmonious throughout, and that the official repre- sentatives of the various States were wholly in sympathy with the action of this State and its determination to op- pose this consolidation. It was decided to bring the suit in the Supreme Court ot the United States in the first instance '
 If the final decision should be against the State, the Governor declares. tn case will be decided by the court of pub- lie opinion. which he regards as above all courts.
 In conclusion, the Governor urges tha
 the Legislature appropriate sufiicien funds to allow the legal department o the State to secure necessary assistance to meet the expense of combating th' consolidation.