The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-10
.HUBBARD'S MERGER
Railroad Lobbies Working Tooth
and Nail for It.
AMOUNTS TO NOTHING THEY SAY,
But Hubbard Himself Gives the Snap
Away-How MT. Hill II
Affected.

Special to The Journal.
Des Moines, Iowa, Feb. 10.-The most
herculean efforts are being made by the,
railroad lobby to compel the enactment
OF Senator Hubbard's merger BILL en-
towering railroad corporations organized
In Iowa to reach out into any or all other
states and control the securities of other
railroad corporations.
The attorneys for the leading railroads
are on the ground and they and their
henchmen in the legislature are adopt
ing the most insidious line of arguments
to make converts. They have accom-
plished much since the bill was intro
duced and there is a strong likelihood
the bill will pass the senate.
The policy Of reasoning adopted by the
railroad attorneys for the benefit of the
members of the assembly is to belittle
the scope of the bill and to ridicule the
claims that the measure has anything to
do with the Northern Securities corpora
ton movement. That it Is part and
parcel Of the same project, intended II
necessary. to allow the Burlington to alb
sorb the Northern Pacific and Great
Northern and merge with them in case
the supreme court holds adverse to the
Northern Securities company, Is adj
mitted by Senator Hubbard and under
pressure has been given out by other
leading railway attorneys.
Among the elements opposed to the bill
there is a marked disposition to blame
Hubbard for having anything to do with
it. They say the effect OF it already has
been bad in the eleventh district, where
Hubbard hopes to succeed Thomas in
congress, and that when he concluded to
Introduce this bill, he might as we'll have
given it out he would not make the con-
gressional race.
Allison Caught Mapping.
Senator Allison has disclosed that like
the rest Of human kind he is liable to
error. The peculiar situation is pre-
scented of Iowa having filed claim for
about half million dollars with the
treasury department of the United States
and Of having this claim referred to the
court of claims after due consideration,
without the senior senator from lowe ap-
parent1y dreaming anything was going
on. Recently Senator Allison wrote to
Governor Cummins a letter concerning
the claim of Iowa for interest on the war
bonds and war warrants. He said in ef-
feet that If the state would file its claim
it would undoubtedly be paid, in accord
| ance with decisions Of the court of claims
in similar cases from New York and
other states. The letter was used to show
there was no necessity OF employing
Captain J.. S. Lothrop Of Sioux City as
special attorney to prosecute. the war
claim. : a.: as-
The truth is, as Captain Lothrop has
| indicated in a message to Allison, that
the claim of the state has not only been
under consideration by the treasury de-
partment for weeks, but has already been
referred to the court of claims where 1t
will have to be adjudicated. The ques-
tions entering into it are not covered by
decisions in the New York case, 1mpor-
tant questions Of fact being involved in
addition to law points not adjusted in the
other cases. The query now being asked
is, how long is it since the senior senator
quit reading the Hawkeye papers.
The probabilities are the senate sub
committee now looking into the matter
for the purpose Of preparing bill to au-
thorize payment Of Captain Lothrop tor
his services, will empower the executive
council to act as deemed fit. In this con-
nection, it has been discovered that Gov
ernor Shaw virtually made contract
with Lothrop and there are serious doubts
to what extent the state is liable under
the ex-governor's arrangements.