The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1902-01-11

aMOunC OF Cno SCOck OF the dr68L
Northern and Northern Pacific
Railway companies in exchange
for it's own stock, and IL is through
this company that the unity of
management of control is to be
effected.
HAs soon as this fact became
known to me, 1 felt it my duty as
governor to do everything in my
power to oppose the consolidation
or amalgamation of these proper
ties within the state of Minnesota.
If there is such a consolidation
contemplated, and that fact seems
to be practically conceded, it is an
open violation of law as well as
the declared public policy of the
state of Minnesota and 1 felt that
l should be negligent of my duties
as the official head of the. state if
l remained acquiescent under such
circumstances.
II have been informed that the
states which you gentlemen repre-
sent as governors and attorney
generals have constitutional or
statute laws similar in effect to
those Of the state of Minnesota
and this was a question in which
our state was not alone interested.
Acting upon this belief, I took the
liberty of asking you for this con-
ference of governors and attorney
generals Of the vast states through
which these two roads pass, be-
lieving that all such states were
equally interested in maintaining
the principles heretofore asserted
by the state of Minnesota and re-
assured here in it's objection to
this consolidation. / felt that the
interests were SO vast and at the
same time similar to those of our
own state, that the states where
you gentlemen are the official
heads should be consulted and ift
possible such methods OF proceed
ure adopted as would be uniforms
The people Of the state of Mime
sofa, feeling certain that competi-
ton has been the chief factor in
her development and equally GER
tain that its destruction would re-
suit in the greatest loss to both
producer and consumer, has de-
termined to oppose this CONSOLE
dalton.
This determination is not en-
tered into with any spirit of hos
tility towards railways. Our state
has dealt literally with them and
has decided to the various railways
operating within the state more
than 1O,5OO,COO acres of land, or
more land than is under cultivation
by the people of Minnesota, and
there has been decided by the state
and national government combined
some 20, 00O,O 600 acres, being double
the cultivated acreage in the hands
of the general population. In
view of this and other privileges
granted by the state, it is but just
to say that the railway companies
owe reciprocal duties to the public
including cheerful obedience to
our laws"
There is nothing in this. state
ment of the governor to alarm
people or promise any unwarranted
hostility to the railroads. It is
the statement of a fair minded
man, who believes that the legal
rights and interests of the people
should be preserved. The follow
ing from the Minneapolis journal
shows how the statement of the
governor is considered;
It seem, to us that Governor
Van SAINT made a very moderate,
and plain statement Of
the facts with regard to the pro-
posed railroad consolidation and
his attitude toward it at the meet
ing Of the governors in Helena.
There is nothing in that to indi-
cate any hostility toward any le-
gitimate railroad enterprise There
is simply a quiet determination to
exhaust the remedies afforded by
the courts to prevent what every
one knows is to be a practical con-
of these two roads and a
monopolization Of nearly
the entire transportation system Of
the northern half of the entire
state. How Governor Van SAINT,
in compliance with his oath. could
have pursued any other course
than that he has adopted has never
yet been suggested by any supper
ter or opponent Of the merger. If1
he is not entitled to the support Of
all good people in this undertak-
ing, certainly no man holding q
responsible Office and placed in q
trying position ever was.
Az is the deliberations of the
conference. here Is what the dif-
erent executives say: i83
sd%k,lryETss = We fHs2Hr 4 as&ass u