The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-12-17
HILL NOT CALLED
in MERGER CASE
The State Will Not Be Likely to
Call Him. to the
Stand. -
To-day's Session Largely Taken Up
With Testimony Of Farm
Land Dealers. -
They Show That Railroad COMPETE
ton Enhances Land Values
Next Session Dec. 20.

| important, they practically finished a rec
! ord which is considered much stronger
than the federal government made in the
other case. The hearing will be resumed
| Dec. 20.
President ]. J. Hill was not called and
probably will not be- Counsel for the state
do not feel in pressing need of further
assertions on the benefits of the merger.
President Harris gave them enough of
that yesterday to last while.
An important witness for the state, who
was expected to testify along the same
line as the wheat farmers called last
week. of the absence of competition, has
! failed to appear. He has sent word that
he cannot sacrifice his business, which
| would be endangered by appearing as
| witness against the railroad companies.
| He has others to consider besides him
| self.
Judge Young and M. D. Grover, counsel
for the merger companies, threaten to
consume several days with rebutting tes-
timony. showing what benefits the merger
| has brought.
Testimony taken this morning was for
the purpose of bringing into the record
several facts on which there is little dis
pute, but which need to be brought before
| the court.
Merger and Farm Lands
Four witnesses put on by the state were
| dealers in farm lands, who testified to
the Welknown fact that proximity to COM
| peting lines of railway enhances the value
of lands. Judge Young objected to all
the testimony incompetent, irrelevant
and immateral, and it's competency and
materiality will be passed on by the court.
Railroad Commissioner c. F. Staples was
put on to identify the railroad map of the
| state, and to testify to it's present condi-
| ton. Some important pieces of evidence
| taken in the federal case were introduced
by stipulation, swelling the record without
| the consumption of much time.
President Harris and Vice-President Da-
! RUS Miller Of the Burlington were on hand
this morning. and put in a busy hour
/ reading copy on the transcript of their
evidence given yesterday. They were not
| called again.
| At the opening of the session Theodore
! F. Koch. real estate man of st. Paul,
testified to large dealings In ia rna lands
III various Minnesota counties. In reply
to a question from Mr. Mum, he stated
that in his experience he had observed
! that lands reached by competing lines of
either line were of more value than lands
! contiguous to only one railroad. Judge
| Young entered objection to the testimony
and did not cross examine.
S. A. Hoyt of st. Paul, another farm
land dealer. said his firm had sold about
|
years. He Endorsed Mr.. Koch's opinion
| that lands reached by competing lines
were more valuable than similar land not
so situated. This had been his expert
ence. In Faribault county, where the
Milwaukee and North Western were in
competition, the lands were worth SO to
SIS per acre more than in Martin county,
where only the Milwaukee ran. Later
when the North Western and the Mime
apois & St. Louis came into Martin coun-
ty, the values went up to equal figures.
500 Competition Factor.
Franklin Benner Of Minneapolis real
estate and farm land dealer, said he had
dealt extensively in Minnesota and Da-
kota farm lands. He has now on hand
about 10000 acres Of which $4,000 are
| in Minnesota. He considered it good
near two railroads., as the farmer con-
sdered that he had two markets to go
to where railroads were in competition
for his freight.
General Wilson asked: "Have you not
observed that the freight rates from
points on the Great Northern and North
ern Pacific also reached by the 500 were
less than for corresponding points not
reached by the Soo?'
II have understood so,'' replied Mr..
Benner -.
us it not a fact that the market price
|
value at Minneapolis less the freight?''
Yes, the lower the freight rate the
higher the price given for grain"
What effect would that have on the
value of land?"
Farmers always seek lands where they
can market their crops at good figures
w. P. Christensen of Olivia, Mimi,
a dealer in farm lands, said he had sold
lands for twenty years, and was familiar
with values in Renville and Redwood
county, and also in the northern part Of
the state He also stated that proximity
to two competing lines of railway was
a feature adding to the value of land.
"You may take the Witness said Gen.
eral Douglas.
1--WE, don't want him. said Judge
Young.
Mr.. Mum then announced that the state
would offer in evidence certain exhibits
from the federal case. These included
the proceedings of the Northern Pacific
directors Dec. II, 1901, notices issued re-
lating to the retirement Of the preferred
stock, the agreement between the North
ern Pacific and the Standard Trust com
pany and the trust deed issued to the
Northern Pacific for the Burlington stock
BY previous: stipulation, any of this evil
dence entered in the government case may
be lifted by either side into the record
Of the state case. IS ..-r s.s.t... a.. -.
The state offered as an exhibit the rail-
road commissioners map of 1901, which
was offered by the defense in the govern.
ment case. It was stipulated to be a
correct map Of all the lines in Minnesota
at that time. The state sought a further
stipulation that the Minnesota & Interna.
: tional was now owned by the Northern
Pacific but Messrs. Young and Grover
, declined to admit it without testimony.
G. F.. Staples, railroad commissioner
was called on further to Identify tn.
map as correct and testify as to whether
any changes had been made in the north
. ern part of the state. He said there hat
been an extension Of the Minnesota-In
t ternational from Blackduck northwart
and an extension of a logging road from
Carlton north.
There had been no other extension il
{ the territory north and west Of the twir
t cities. He volunteered the information
that the northern Pacific owned 70 PEI
{ cent of the stock Of the Minnesota & In
$ ternational, and they are considered prac
!, tically one system, though they repor
, separately.
Adjournment was then taken until Dec
p L 90 r 49, *