Show long promised action against the oregon short line southern pacific and san pedro roads is commenced by the government y before judge marshall in salt lake city salt lake city utah feb 1 A petition in equity seeking the dissolution of the so called harriman Harrim nn railroad system m the western part of the united states was filed today in the united states district court for utah at the sama time the attorneys lor the government represented in court by a A severance of st paul special assistant to the attorney general of the united states prayed for permission to serve subpoenas on nonresident witnesses a formal motion for which was allowed by judge john marshall mr severance would venture no opinion this morning as to the date when the issues will be joined and the actual trial of the case commenced the defendants all but three of whom live outside of utah are entitled to twenty days from the date of service to make answer if they are served march 1 the answer should bo handed in not later than march 20 if service Is not secured until after the first of march they will have until april to answer demur or take whatever course of action they may decide upon to meet the blow which has so quickly followed the word of the president in congress the three resident corporations are the union pacific the oregon short line and the san pedro los angeles salt lake from time to time these interests have secured the passage of various bills by the utah legislature legalizing various tactical moves on the transportation chessboard chess board the legislators yielding with little hesitation to the argument that the railroads were home industries and the details of their control had no bearing on the interests of the people of this states hington feb 1 united states ES a gny der the direction of the eral today filed in tho circuit court of the united states for the district of utah sitting at salt lake alty a petition or bill in equity in which the united states is made complainant and the union company the oregon short line railroad company the oregon railroad navigation company the san pedro salt lake railroad company the topeka santa fe railroad company the northern pacific railroad company the great northern railway company farmers loan trust company B H Harrl mah jacob otto kahn james stillman henry H rogers henry C frick and wm A chark are defendants the bill sets out in detail the several agreements contracts and operations by which the several defendants harriman kahn stillman rogers frick and dark at var ious times since january 1 1901 are alleged to have secured lor themselves and others the management and control of the various defendant roads their branches and steamship lines and to have ever since operated them in restraint of trado and commerce among the states and with foreign nations in violation of the act of congress approved july 2 1890 entitled an act to protect trade and commerce against unlawful restraint and monopoly tho bill alleges combination and conspiracy among the defendants in derogation of the common rights of all the people of the united states and asks that tho individual defendants named and their associated stockholders and each and every person combining or conspiring with them and their trustees agents and assigns present or future be perpetually enjoined from doing any and every act or thing in furtherance of the combination or conspiracy or tending fo carry out the conspiracy described in this bill of complaint or interested or tending to complete control or partial control of said competing lines of railway by the union pacific company the oregon short line railroad company or ane oregon railroad navigation company or their officers directors and executive committees or in the control legal or practical of any person or persons association or corporations acting for or in lieu of said union pacific railroad company or the oregon short une railroad company or the oregon railroad navigation company in carrying out of the unlawful combination or conspiracy as hereinbefore al lebed that each and all of the acts and doings of said defendants in pursuance of said conspiracy be decreed to bo in violation of the act of congress as approved july entitled an aci to protect trade and commerce against unlawful restraint and monopolies and the acts amendatory thereof and a writ of injunction mandatory or otherwise aa bo necessary issue out of this court the said defendant fen dant their officers directors servants and agents to desist in said unlawful acts and that they and each of them and all and each of their respective spec tive directors officers agents servants employed emp loyes and all persons acting under or through them or either of thorn or in their behalf or claiming so to act be enjoined restrained and prohibited from entering into taking part in or performing any contract combination or conspiracy tho purpose or effect of which will beas to said trade and commerce among the states and tories and with foreign nations to restrain trade or to monopolize and at tempt to monopolize said trade or commerce in violation of the ons of the said acts of congress and the complainant the united states of america prays for such other and further relief as the nature of the case may require and the court may deem proper in the premises to the end thereof that the united states of america may obtain the relief to which it is entitled in the premises may it please your honors to grant unto it writs of subpoenas directed to the said defendants union pacific railroad company oregon short lne railroad company oregon railroad navigation company san pedro los angeles salt lake raib oad company atchison topeka santa fe railroad company southern pacific northern pacific company great northern company farmers loan trust company E H harriman jacob otto H kahn james stallman henry H rogers henry C frick and wm A dark and the co conspirators whose names are unknown to the complainant and soon as may be made known to the complainant and the court be advised thereof and to each of them commanding them and each of them to appear herein and answer but not under oath the allegations mentioned ID the foregoing petition and abide by and perform such order or decree as the court may make in the premises and that pending the final hearing ot this case a temporary restraining order and temporary writ of injunction may issue enjoining the defendants and their associates and each of them and their stockholders directors officers agents and servants as hereinbefore prayed the prayer to the court respecting the or egoh short line pany and the oregon railroad navigation company is substantially repeated in all its important particulars as toa all of the other defendant roads named in tho title of the case and in each instance the defendant stockholders officers directors and agents are asked to be perpetually enjoined from voting such stock whether by proxy or otherwise and from paying any dividend upon such stock to any ol 01 the parties unless authorized by the court and from recognizing as valid any transfer mortgage pledge or assignment sign ment of the stock of the defendant railroads unless authorized authorised by the court the bill Is signed by hiram E booth attorney for the united states for the district of utah charles J bonaparte attorney general of the united states milton D purdy assistant to the attorney general frank B kellog and C A severance special assistants to the attorney general |