The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1902-09-03
MERGER SUIT ANSWER.
Minnesota VS.. Northern Secur-
tiles Company.

Northern and One For the Northern |
Pacific--Deny That Competition Is
Lessened by Merger.
st. Paul, Sept. 2.-The answer of the |
Northern Securities company and
President ]. j. Hill, in the suit in the
United States court to prevent the |
consolidation of the Northern Pacific |
and Great Northern Railway company |
was filed in court in this city yester |
day afternoon. 1t is a general denia |
of the complaint.
This is the suit brought by Attorney |
General Douglas, in the name of the |
state of Minnesota. The principal an
swcrs are those of the Northern Sc |
curities company and of President ]. J. |
Hill, but answers were also filed by |
attorneys for the Northern Pacific and |
the Great Northern Railway com
panies.
Defendants deny that the Northern
Securities company has ever conducted
any business in Minnesota or had any
place of business or owred any prop |
erty of the Eastern railway of Mime
sofa, or operated by virtue of lease
They also deny that James j. Hill
was on Nov. 10, 1901, or that he has
ever been the owner of more than
majority, or more than portion far
less than a majority, of the capital |
stock of the Great Northern company
They deny that the Northern Pacific
Railway company ever became a cor
pOration of or within the state oil
Minnesota, or that it ever became sub
ject to the laws thereof. They also |
deny that the Northern Pacific com |
panys lines have since the organiza |
tlon of the Securities company been
operated subject to the dictation OIL
control Of the officers of that company |
Deny Competition Is Lessened.
They admit that cities and towns
named in the bills are points on each
OF the two lines of railway, but deny
that the lines between these points |
are parallel or that the lines competed
'or freight or passenger traffic be |
tween said points in any different
manner or by any greater extent prioi |
to the formation of the Securities com |
pany than they have at all times done
since the formation of that company
and will continue to do so in the
future. They deny that the lines of the
defendant companies between the
state of Minnesota and Puget sound
were or are parallel, or have ever been |
competing lines except at a few points |
at nearly all of which points they com |
peted and still compete with the lines
of other companies.
They deny that the defendant com
panies have competed with each Other
for passenger or freight traffic in any |
other or different manner or to any |
greater extent than they have contin. |
uously done since the formation of the |
Securities company, and will continue
to do in the future.
H'g dAhiAA tlAtAA AhN iAhNS HiC Wv |
only lines of a single railway company |
traversing east and west all the north
ern tier of states west of the Missis |
sippi river They deny that these
lines are the only lines crossing the |
state OF Minnesota and connecting the
Pacific ocean by rail with points OF
said state, or that they are the only |
lines connecting the territory Of the |
northern tier of states or the territory
tributary thereto by rail with the Pa
cific ocean.
They admit that the large quantities
of swamp land were granted by the
United States to the state of Minneso
ia, but have no information as to what
quantity, if any, of said lands are row
owned by the state, nor as to the value
if any, of such lands or any of them
nor to what extent, If at ALL the value
OF saleability of said lands depends
upon competition of any kind between
the defendant railway companies oI
upon the construction of railway lines
by both or either of the defendant
companies.
They deny that any of the matters
alleged in the bill have prevented OF
hindered or will prevent or hinder the
construction by the state or by anyone
authorized by the plaintiffs OF rail
roads that the state may deem neces
sary or advantageous to bring its
swamp lands into market and secure
their settlement and occupation.
Admit the plaintiffs ownership and
maintenance of certain institutions
named in the bill and admit that a
small portion of the supplies of some
of these institutions requires TO be and
is carried over the line OF one or the
other of the defendant railway com.
panies.
Grants of Swamp Lands.
They say that except the grants OF
swamp lands mentioned the grants by
the state in aid Of railways in Mime.
sofa were made by the territory and
state of Minnesota merely in execu.
tion Of trusts r5posed in them respec.
lively by acts Of congress granting
lands of the United States to aid in
the construction Of such railways.
They admit making large shipments
of wheat and other products from and
to the places named in the bill. They
deny that competition between the de.
fendant companies for traffic between
said places was. prior to the organiza.
tion Of the Securities company, any
sharper or more active or more pro