The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-11-12
THE MERGER CASE.
Additional Defendant Railroads File
Answers With Commission.


Washington, Nov. 11.--Several more
of the railroads which were made de-
PENDANTS in the complaint made by the
Kentucky railroad commission charg-
ing merger of interests which threat
ened to place the entire Southern ter
ritory under the domination of a single
firm, filed their answers in the Inter
state Commerce Commission to-day.
The answers in the main. like those
OF the Illinois Central and the Texas
and Pacific filed yesterday, deny the
allegations. The Louisville and Nash
vile Railroad, however, goes further
and its answer styles the complaint
a mere fishing bilP and disputes the
jurisdiction of the Interstate Com
merce Commission over such matters.
The Louisville and Nashville's answer
says the commission has no right nor
title to institute or prosecute the COM
plant; has no jurisdiction to require
the filing of copies of contracts or ar
rangements with other common car
riers except such as relate to the
traffic affected by the Interstate Com
merce act, which, the railroad says,
does not apply to the contracts. ar
rangements, etc. referred to in the
complaint; nor jurisdiction to inquire
into personal transactions of individ-
uaf stockholders. nor to ascertain
whether any particular individual or
firm has acquired a majority of any
other proportion of the capital stock
of a railroad.
The answer denies that ]. P. Morgan
& Co., have acquired control of a ma
jority of the Louisville and Nashville
stock, and says the commission has no
jurisdiction to inquire into the motives
or objects of anyone selling or pur-
chasing shares, nor whether the stock
of the Southern is controlled by a
voting trust with Morgan & Co., at its
head.
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad ad-
mits contracting with the Morgan
Company to purchase by Dec. 81, next,
and that the Morgan Company has
contracted to deliver to the Atlantic
Coast Line by that date 100000 shares
of the capital stock of the Louisville
and Nashville for $5O,0O0.000 and that
the Louisville and Nashville has as
scented thereto.
The Southern Railway Company, the
Southern Railway Company in Ken
lucky and the Southern Railway Com
pany of Indiana. in a joint answer.
deny that the two last named lines
are under the management" of the
II.
June 81, 1900, Morgan & Co., and the
Southern Railway made an agreement
with practically all of the holders of
the bonds secured on properties then
belonging to the Louisville. Evansville
and the st. Louis Consolidated Rail-
road Company, whereby it was pro-
posed to reorganize that road to vest
it's control in the Southern. This plan
was executed by a foreclosure sale. 1t
is also admitted that in pursuance of
an agreement the Southern jointly
with the Louisville and Nashville has
acquired 1898 shares of the capital
stock of the Chicago, Indianapolis and
Louisville Railway Company.
The Cincinnati. New Orleans and
Texas Pacific not only denies the jur-
isdiction of the commission. but sub
mits that there is no law of the United
States or of the states mentioned in
the complaint which forbids the same
person or firm to hold stock in two or
more railways.