Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-05-13
REPOKJyG THE T1RTFF IN THE IN
TEREST OE MONOPOLY.


The more carefully we examine Gen.
Bakers exhaustive paper, (printed in full
in the GLOBE of the 9th inst.,) on the
subject of the tariff on Manitoba wheat,
the more marrow and meat we find in it.
First, the large millers, on the 18th of
December last, met and decreed new
system for grading and buying wheat.
The plan was new and arbitrary. 1t
effectively superseded the little brass
kettle. The design was to take the
grading of wheat into their own hands.
The scheme worked as intended, and
compelled all competition to adopt this
new and arbitrary grading of the Miller's
association. The excuse for this action
was wet weather and bad crops. But the
system has come to stay, for there is no
purpose to abandon it. 1t swept away
all healthy competition.
Second, the next step in lightning the
coils around the producer, was in the
N1illers' association getting possession of
the elevators. This they have pretty eff
fectually done. Davidson's large. line of
elevators were bought, and others were
rapidly built. Thirty were purchased
from Barnes & Magill. The few small
and independent elevators were intimi-
dated and purchased. Steadily and per-
sistently they are absorbing the entire
elevator system of the North Pacific and
Manitoba railway lines. To-day they
own and control more than $50 elevators
in the best wheat regions Of the State
Thus they not only fix the grades, and es-
tablish the price, but they propose
monopoly in the handling of the grain.
They propose to extlnguish the possibility
of rivalry in the grading and handling of
wheat. All others are to be subordinated
to their domination.
Third, comes the new proposition to
take the tariff of twenty cents per bushel
entirely off of Manitoba wheat, just as
that vast region is swarming with set
tiers, and Will soon be possessed of mil
lions of bushels of wheat, which it is pro-
posed shall be poured into export mills,
to be manufactured in lieu of Minnesota
and Dakota grain. The farmers inter
ests are placed beneath the heel of con-
centrated capital. There is no PROPOSE
ton to lift a single one of the burdens
imposed by the tariff upon the farmers,
but the cool scheme Is to take
from the farmer the single item
of protection he now has
il the tariff, the very moment when it
would prove of essential benefit. The
tariff on wheat is thus demonstrated to
be mere sop thrown to the Northwestern
farmer when he didn't want it, to be cru
ely taken away when il was required for
his actual protection. These are links in
chain which are to bind the wheat pro-
duction of the Northwest in the hands of
few men. With these powerful agen-
cies, they can manipulate the market as
they choose.
1t is possible the scheme will go even
further. 1t is rumoIed that the banks
are to be pressed into this service, and
wheat certificates may not be held as of
good standing in commercial circles, ex-
cept they come through this system. The
independent wheat buyer may cut but
sorry figure with his wheat checks, if
this monopolizing process goes on un-
checked.
The loss to our farmers by these sys-
tematic and far-reaching schemes, have
been brought to light none too soon. 1t