The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-09-05
STATE or MINNEsoTA's ALLIE
CATIONS ARE DENIED.
IN FOUR SEPARATE REPLIES
Instead Of Advancing Rates Defend
ants Say They Have Reduc-
ed Them Too Low.

OA0 AL SAAS 800 ~ S#EhEfI4PBl
Of Minnesota. filed their answers to-
in the office of the clerk OF the
United States circuit court. The suit
was brought by the state against the
Northern Securities company, James
J. Hill as an individual, the Great
Northern Railway company n the
Northern Pacific Railway company.
There is n answer for the Securl-
ties and Mr.. Hill in his char
acter as president and individually;
enc for the Great Northern and u
for the Northern Pacific. The an
swer for the Securities company y
of MI. Hill sets up all the matters OF
defense, and the railways in their
pleadings simply follow the Securl-
ties company's answer with some
changes in ~phraseology as are requlr-
ed by their diverse characters.
The main answer, that of the Sc
cnrities company, is more than US
ually direct and plain for a legai
pleading.
Defendants deny, that the Northern
Securities company has ever
Cd any business in Minnesota, or had
any place of business.or owned any
property in the state, and the rail-
roads or the property Of the Eastern
Railway company Of Minnesota are
operated by virtue of a lease to a
Great Northern Railway company.
They also deny that J. j.. Hill a
ever been owner of or in the posses
sion Of or control of, or had at-any
time, subject to his direction. OF: as
nosition. more than a majority OF
more han a portion, far less thar q
majority Of the capital stock, OF the
Great Northern company.
They deny that the Northern Paci'
fc ever became a corpora
s tim of. or within the state OF Mime
sofia. or that it ever became sub]ec'
To the laws thereof, except by MINIS
a copy of it's articles with he secre
: tary of state and complying with tnt
statutes relating to the admission u
The state of railway companies
;zed under the laws of other states
They also deny that the Ncftherl
Pacific or it's lines have since the ol
vi SANITATION Of the Securities compan
,r been operated subject to the dlctatlo'
~ or control of the officers Of that com
pany. and deny that the board OF q
Id ~rectors of the Northern Paclnc con
q nany when the bill vas filed, or q
a n time since, have been the person
o. stated in said bill. On the contrar
m the board of directors of said compan
,e. was when the bill was filed n eve
a s;nce has been composed as follows
er George E. Baker, Edward ia. Harr
man. William P. .Clough, Brayto
he Ives. D. Williams James, John s. Ne
es nedy. Daniel S.. Lamont, Wlllla
Rockefeller, Charles Steele, Samu
Ill spencer and James Stillman, Ed
an Thomson, H. Twombley, all OF NE
re York: Charles S. Miller, Saint Pau
mt Samuel Rea, Of Philadelphia.
sh They admit that the lines are u
only lines of a single railway CO..
.ed nanv traversing east and west all u
SITS northern tier of states west or Z
la. Mississippi river. They deny Tn
these lines are the only lines crossl
vas the state of Minnesota and connectr
ties the Pacific ocean by rail with poll
in said state, or that they are the Oh
) a 1ines connecting the territory OF
.es- northern tier of states or the terrific
dis tributary thereto by rail with the !
cifc ocean. They say That exce
iyil the grants of swamp lands, the graz
re- Of the state in aid of railways in M
,lso nesota. were made by the terrific
hat and state of Minnesota merely
nds execution of trusts reposed in tn
tets respectively by acts of congre
granting lands of the United sta
nest to aid in the construction OF 81
mic railways.
sent None of said lands were ever
the property of said territory or ST.
atesl Zach of whom was a mere conduc'
wear transfer OF the title of such IA
[any from the UnlIeu oI"tos ~
/. tive corporations by which such =
was ways were built, and said gra
lean whether congressional, territorial
d of state, were solely IN CONSIDERABLY
from the construction of such rallw
was None Of such grants nor either OF
sui swamp lands grants was a gift to
scent company receiving them, Du. sao
Min them was made upon a valuaole
the full consideration Infnlsneu ~
company receiving the same.
,atur- They admit making large mp
the of wheat and other pfoduc.s
cases and to the places named n Tue
sease They deny that competition bet'
80 defendant companies for tt