The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-10-09

National Legislation the One Thing
. That Will Fit the Case
4.'. Exactly. ., 4. =.
Valley City, N. D., Oct. Ex-Governor
Frank White was the principal speaker at
republican rally held in this city.
Other speakers were Colonel Plummer of
Fargo and Senator McCumber.
Governor Whites address was devoted
entirely to the merger" question. It was
his first extended expression Of opinion,
and has been looked forward to with ex-
pectancy for some time. The governors
views differ from those Of Governor Van
SAINT. He said:
Il have often been asked why I did
not attend the meeting of the governors
at Helena. When my attention was
called to the organization Of the North
ern Securities company and 1 accepted
the invitation to the meeting, had given
this mater very little consideration. My
investigation, however, soon brought me
to the belief that the consolidation had
already been practically accomplished. If
the law permitted any man to own one
share in the Great Northern, and also one
share in the Northern Pacific, he could
own as many shares Of each as he could
buy and pay for; and if no owned con-
trolling interest in both there would be
very little competition between them and
1t would make no difference whether they
were managed separately or together.
This seemed to me to be the whole case
in question
'Mr. Hill and his associates had bought
and owned a majority Of the stock in each
one of these roads. You couldn't take it
away from them, and you couldn't pre-
vent their selling what they owned, and
you couldn't take it away from the man
who bought from them. If each and every
individual stockholder sold his stock to
John Doe,' his right to own it in it's en-
tirety and to- exercise every right that
pertains to ownership cannot, 1t seems to
me, be questioned. Railway stock is pri--
vate personal property subject to- the
laws Of control and sale.
PoWerIess to Do Anything.
1T became evident too that no Joint
action by the Northwestern states could
be brought to dissolve the Securities COM
pany. Each state must act alone, and
bring such action under the laws Of the
state as thought proper. I was not long
In arriving at the determination that SO
far as the state of North Dakota was con-
cerned, as the executive I should not
cause any action to be brought against
this company did not believe that any of
the actions proposed (and which were
afterwards commenced by the states Of
Minnesota and Washington would ac-
complish anything; and after quite an ex-
tended investigation I am more firmly
convinced that the end sought will not be
accomplished 49,. ~
"You can't compel competition by law.
You may compel separate management,
but under the law you cannot compel sep
arate ownership.
"Our state has lost nothing by inaction.
Every; right we had we still have. Our
case has been III no way prejudiced.
i'sNhef was no emergency requiring pre-
cfpftate action Either the consultations
was legal or it was not legal, and must, in
cess Of the court.
Onus on the Legislature.
IF the state wants law suit with the
Securities company the legislature, fresh
from the people, and soon to meet, can
authorize any action that seems to them
appropriate and provide means for carry
ing it to determination. And in with
drawing my acceptance OF the invitation
to the conference, I was led to do so under
the belief that the interests Of the state
would be best subserved by my refrain
ing from taking any action whatever in
the matter until it had been more thor
oughly dtgested by myself and by the peo-
pie Of the state.
II don't blame st. Paul and Minneapolis
and the Pacific coast points for using
every effort in;their power to retain COM
petition as a regulator 1t has given them
extremely low rates as compared with the
rates Of intermediate points. But what
has the competition between these roads
done for North Dakota? A few years ago
when competition was in full swing, if you
wanted to ship car of flour from North
T~1r -
charged the Minneapolis rate with the
local rate from North Dakota to Mime
apolis added. If you wanted to ship a
car from the Pacific coast to a North
Dakota point you were charged the
through rate to Minneapolis with the local
rate from Minneap polls to Dakota added.
1.-THE tendency of recent years has been
for railroads to operate more and more
in harmony with each other. They not
only consult each other before, making
any change in rates, but divide up the
territory to serve each particular line
and no branch line is constructed at the
present time, without its being approved
by the neighboring road.
Both sides Have Rights.
The railroads have rights. The men
who invest their money in railroads are
entitled to a reasonable and just rate of
interest on the amount invested, and no
more. The public, too, has rights that
are equally Important and vital and is
entitled to JUST and reasonable freight
rates, equal to all, and should be in a DO
| sition to know that it's rights are pre-
! served.
| 1.-THE question Of consolidation Is more
a question Of railroad economy. If the
railroads of the northwest can be more
cheaply operated, if the public can be
given better facilities OF connection and
communication in it's various parts by
consolidation it should result to the bene-
fit Of the public and not to its injury. The
| danger lies not in consolidation but in
| the inadequacy Of our present laws to
meet present conditions. The remedy, it
seems to me, is plain and sufficient.~
1T has been pointed out by the reports
| of the Cullom committee of the senate,
| the industrial commission and the inter-
state commerce commission. It Is the
| remedy advocated by President Roosevelt