Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-12-07

under the control of Van Duzen s.
20. In his section, Belle Piaine,
Scott county,the timber farmers were pay
ing particular attention to raising an ex-
ira variety of hard wheat, but when it
came to marketing this wheat Van Duzen's
agents refused to grade it better than No.
L, thus robbing the producer from to 5
cents on each bushel. In behalf of
himself and others who were
being thus robbed, he had
addressed a letter to Van Duzen & Co.,
enclosing samples of the hard wheat. An
swerlng, Van Duzen said he knew nothing
OF the matter, but that he would look into
1t and instruct his buyers. Six weeks had
Passeo, however, and no change had been
made. The result was that the extra fine hard
wheat OF the timber was being mixed with
the inferior prairie wheat, and shipped in
to Minneapolis and sold as No. made
so by the mixture of the hard with the
poorer quality, all the benefit of the mix
ture going to the elevator and mill men.
AS illustrative of the wrongs perpe-
trated upon the farmers by this combina
ton of railroads, elevator and mill men,
Mr. Giles read the following from Chi
cago daily paper of recent date:
'Prominent wheat buyers we're inter-
viewed yesterday relative to the reports
from Fargo, which are to the effect that
the farmers have called meetings at VAL
ley City, Detroit, and other Northwestern
points, to protest against the way wheat
is handled by the elevators along the
Northern Pacific. 1t is also reported that
the farmers about Colfax refuse to have
anything to do with the Minneapolis Mil
lers' association buyers. It was stated by
the gentleman interviewed that the trouble
was due to the fact that there is not COM
petition enough in the buying of wheat
to satisfy the farmers; that they look
upon the control exercised along the
Northern Pacific by the Millers' association
as the very worst form of monopoly. It
seems that since the dissolution of the firm
of Barnes & Magill, who originally con-
trolled the Northern Pacific elevators, that
the Millers' association have cantrol, and
that MIR. Barnes is their general manager.
1t is alleged by some of the farmers that
not only are the elevator deductions for
shrinkage out of all reason, but that they
are able to secure only No. 1 prices for
wheat which is really No. hard. The
whole matter was claimed to be that a
monopoly practically controls the wheat
buying facilities every way so far as stor-
age and other advantages are concerned.
It is also stated by gentleman who is
familiar with the situation along the line
of the road to Sioux City, that the fact
that Van Duzen & Co., of Red Wing
are able to absolutely control the market
on portion of that road is giving rise to
expressions of dissatisfaction, and that
Peevy & Co.'s control of the balance of
that line is cause for still greater COM
plant; that is, the farmers along the Sioux
City road are making about the same ef-
fort against Van Duzen & Co. and Peevy
& Co. that those along the Northern Pacific
are against the Millers' association. No
measure of relief from this state of things
was suggested, further than the hint that
the farmers would probably arise to the
importance of self protection and demand
of the railway companies that they COM
pei their wheat buyers to deal fairly in all
respects"
The board then took recess for dinner.