Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1904-11-24
LONG LEGAL FIGHT.
SUITS WHICH PROMISE MUCH LIT.
CATION.
Property Valued at q Million DOL
lars Involved, as Well as Inter.
eStS Which Now Control Sal.
mon Industry of Puget Sound
Sensational Statements.

Seattle, Nov. 21.-One of the hard
est fought and most far reac hing legal
battles ever waged in the state OF
Washington promises to result from
the suit filed in the federal corut, in
Whatcom county, against the Pacific
Packing & Navigation Company, the
Pacific American Fisheries Company
and the Alaska Packers Association
last Thursday by Prosecuting Attorney
Healey, of that county. Associated
with Mr.. Healey as assistants in the
case are Dudley &. Wooten, James B.
Beavis and j. W Bryan, of this Getty
The proposed action involves prop.
erty valued two years ago at over g..
600, 900, and practically threatens the
interests that at present control the
salmon industry of Puget ound Fur.
Their, it will result in an indefinite de
lay in the confirmation of the receiv-
er's sale of the Pacific American Fish
cries which took place few days ago
and which was bid in for the sum of
1910, 900, and may cause the forfeiture
OF the 49, 900 deposited to bind the
sale.
Eighteen concerns, incorporated and
doing business under the laws of the
state, are named as defendants in the
complaint, which alleges, among other
thighs, that they are corporations in
nam e only and that they are to all
practical purposes controlled by the
Pacific American Fisheries Company
the Pacific Packing Company and the
Alaska Packers Association
Combine Alleged to Be Illegal.
1t is further set up that the comb.
nation was formed for the deliberate
purpose of securing, in defiance of law
the use and privileges of the fishing Ii.
censes and the location of weirs. nets
and the like; that it is to all purposes
trust is also alleged in the complaint,
which further prays that pending the
final hearing and determination of the
suit that the fish commissioners of the
state be enjoined from issuing any fish
licenses or from recognizing as valid
any location for fishing purposes
sought by the defendants OF by any
one claiming under their authority
The complaint also demands that q
temporary restraining order he granted
against the defendants. enjoining them
from using or transferring or renewing
and of the fish licenses or locations
held by them at present.
what Counsel Say.
In an interview J. J. Kerr. repre-
senting the fisheries interests, stated
that Mr.. Healey had been misled by
antagonistic interests, and that there
were no real grounds for the bringing
of the suits. On the other hand, MIR
Wooten, associated with the prosecu
ton, believes the case will become
fully as productive of sensational fea
lures as did the famous merger case o.
the recent land frauds. Mr. Woote1
further intimated that, like these cases
that against the fish combine will, be
fore it is over, involve the regulations
and possibly the looping off of the off
cial head of more than one government
employe. He says be expects the pros
ecution of the case will be obstructet
by the use of all means possibl t
those whose interests are at stake, bu
says that the case will be fought with
incorporating vigor by himself ant
associates.
Mr.. Wooten further affirms that thu
| fight is against the most powerful mon
ey interests of the country, and thai
the fish com bine is but one of the
many ramicfiations of the inteie sts Of
which the merger scheme and the ship
building combine were part, and he
also claims that the real purchaser OF
the bankrupt Pacific Packiang q Nav
igation Company at the recent sale was
the American Steel and Wire Company