Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-01-21
THE WHEAT PROBLEM.
TIE MxtterSmgs Of the Storm Continuing
A FesU People Beginning to Get Their
Eyes Open.
alexandria Post.]

alexandria Post.]
DANGEROUS MONOPOLY.
The late purchase by the Minneapolis
millers' association of the Davidson ele-
vators on the line of the st. Paul, Min
neapolis 8 Manitoba railroad, bodies no
good to the great wheat-producing north.
west. With the elevators under their
control, and possessing such superior ia
cilities for handling and shipping wheat,
and with millions of capital to back
them in any scheme of breaking down
independent buyers and crushing all free
competition, it is almost foregone
conclusion that that giant corporation at
Minneapolis is laying heavy
hand on the greatest industry
of the wide northwest. That
their elevators will do general eleva-
tor and warehouse business, affOrding to
all buyers equal facilities with them
selves in handling, storing and shipping
grain, and at rates which will not be pro-
Ribitory, is specious presumption in
favor of soulless corporations that no
extinguish all rivalry and lay merciless
tribute upon the toiling and producing
millions is the chief and almost only pur-
pose of all great corporations. If we un-
derstand rightly the status of the Pills
bury & Hubert elevators, all along this
line Of road, it is not in any particular or
appreciable way different from sole own
ership by the Millers' Association.
1t is true that this new elevator COM
pany have named their association the
Minnesota and Dakota Elevator COM
pany, and that they advertise to do a
general grain and elevator business.
This is more plausible than safe. By it
they are in no wise precluded from buy
ing off competitors or forcing them to the
wall by any expedient. While opening
their grain houses and elevators to other
buyers, they make their own rates for
handling and storage, and by extortion
may choke off any and every man that
would seek to handle bushel of wheat
for parties other than the Miller's asso-
citation.
TheImajor portion, if not all the bona
fide stock of this corporation as well as
that of the Pillsbury & Hurlbut elevator
company, is owned by the Millers' asse-
citation. The new elevator company was
organized for the express purpose of get
ting all the wheat of the northwest for
the Minneapolis millers. The Minneapo-
lis millers have never been restrained
from getting all this wheat for their mills.
But heretofore, at least in some localities
in the northwest, they have had to get it
by bidding as much as buyers from Mil
waukee, Chicago, Buffalo, New York,
or elsewhere. Whoever would give most
for the wheat got it. Minneapolis
millers could have had every bushel of
all these millions Of grain by simply
giving rs much for it as was offered by
buyers from elsewher; and on these
terms, fair to all, they could, without a
monopoly of elevators, still buy and con-
| troll the wheat productions Of this rapidly
developing northwest. But they did not
want it on these terms, nor do they want
| it on those terms now or ever. To die
tate prices is their purpose, and to run
theseIprices down, thereby subtracting
from the wheat growers millions of dol
lars, to add to their already superabun-
dant wealth, is the single purpose Of this
enormous and conscienceless corpora
ton.