Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1884-01-30

urday contains the following concern,
ing the grievances Of farmers IN tha'
region:
The situation in that part OF west
err Minnesota and Eastern DAKOTA
traverscd by this line of The MllWau,
kec & st. Paul is depressing, ana full
of such cruel injustice as has not been
found elswelferc to exist. transit
is the one word which sums up the
universal complaint, and in this is eX-
pressed the peculiar device by which
competition is eflectually shut out,
and the independent buyer forced
to aid the farmer vt his own peril, II
at all The transit system may need a
word of explanation to some feaaefs,
though it is not likely that farmers
living in the district where it Is en-
forced will need much enlightenment.
BY an agreement between the roads
running east to Chicago, it is permit
ted TO buy wheat on amy OF lneir
western extensions and have II Dllled
through to Milwaukee or Chicago,
paying the freight for the entire dis
lance in advance. bat receiving III re-
turn the privilege Of stopping IL at any
point, having it ground, ana applying
The remainder OF the unused freight
to the payment of shipping charges
for the flour. The arrangement Is one
OF convenience for the buyers OF the
miiers' association, and one that, II
merely introduced Ill connection with
the ordinary shipping arrangements,
would work 80 hardship to anybody.
But when it is ma e uniVerSal ana
compulsory, it is easily seen that the
effect is to throw the whole market IN
to the control of such buyers, to freeze
out those who may wish to buy for
independent purposes, and 10 enable
the rest TO keeY The market perma-
nently below just and reasonable fig
ures 1t is reported that no wheat can
be billed east from way station on
the Hastings & Dakota road without
paying the freight through to Chicago
or Milwaukee, and no local rate to
Minneapolis is made. If, then, buy
er wishes to purchase for the Mime
apolis market, he is compelled to pre-
pay freight to Chicago, paying at the
rate of 20 cents per hundred pounds
from Minneapolis to Chicago, over
which he does not wish his wheat
at all. Arrived at the for
mer city he must sell the unused tram
sit for what he can get for it. AS there
is always large amount on hand and
as the millers' association is practic
ally the only buyer, the price is kept
Oh an average at about Is cents per
hundred. This the shipper must per-
force accept, leaving him out five
cents per hundred, or about three
cents per bushel, on his business. The
millers' association, having use for its
transit to cover cost of transporting
flour to the East, labors under no such
disadvantage; and the outside buyer
is either obliged to give up the bust
ness or to put down the prices offered
for wheat to figure low enough to
for his loss. In either
case the buyer who is Oh the inside of
the monopoly is master of the situa-
ton. II, as is generally the case, he
is left with q free field, he has only to
make prices to suit himself, and in
either case the farmer is between the
upper and neither milestone.
When such Il state of affairs as this
exists, it could not be otherwise than
that grave abuses such as ridiculous
ly low prices and unjust grades should
creep in. Having absolute power for
good or evil, it would not be in human
nature not to use it to personal advan-
tage. It is claimed, with every assu
rance of truth, that the result of this
system is to enable buyers to deduct
at least five cents per bushel from
what would be on fair principles the
market. price of the entire crop Of this
section; and this margin does not COW
er any necessary charges, but is pure
eXtortion. A computation made onthe
most liberal basis for the buyers al |
lows them four cents a bushel for ele-
vator charges, enough to pay schedule
freights to Minneapolis-andi it is per-
to doubt whether the full |
amount is actually charged-and yet
leaves this excess of five cents per
oushel between the local 'a ID, g nd the !
price, which is simply |
subtracted from the farmers returns |
and added to the profits of the buying
Those who would submit |
1uietiy 10 SUCH outrage R9sJ be- either I
more or less than men. The lowering |
Of grades below those prevailing in
Eastern markets is admitted, and |
changes of policy leave the farmer in
doubt whether a good quality OF
wheat will or will not bring a good
price, he being generally left in the
urch, however the decision runs.
A more wretched, unjust, and eXtor-
donate practice than that described
oy our correspondent it would be hard |
TO imagine; and probably in no other
portion of this country is any class sub
ect to such miserable oppression, eX-
ercised by a power to which there is |
40 resistance to be offered, and from |
whose dominion there is no escape, as
that under which these farmers labor |
in their honest endeavor to provide |
for their families, and lay the founda-
ton of future prosperity for them
selves and for the state. AS to the |
effect, there is but one voice. Buyers
outside of the association complain |
loudly that they cannot compete with
the users of transit, except at the pleas |
ure of the latter; and then their COM
petition is so limited as to be of no
value to the producer. The railroad
company is memorable, and will not
permit any second elevator to be built
at any point unless of a size equal to
that of the one already erected, nor
will they accept wheat for shipment
without the trausit restriction. The
monopoly appears to be absolutely
safe from intrusion save at its own
pleasure. Farmers say that their ruin
is being wrought, and prove it by get
ting out of the country as speedily as
possible. Business men declare that
the policy is having fatal results; and
while the present depression must be
credited in part to the stagnatian that
rules over the whole country, and to
the low price Of wheat in all markets,
still farther reduction Of five cents
per bushel is not calculated to cast a
beam of light upon the farmers path.
That the ultimate effect of such Q pol
icy, if continued, will be to ruin in-
dnstry, and to put back the develop
ment of the country q decade, Is an
obvious conclusion. The powers that
Join hands in enforcing and perpetual
ting an odious system are doing their
best to make their tributary territory
worthless, and to cut themselves off
from future revenue. Under such a.
policy no country can ever be devel-
oped, none can be kept from retrogres-
sion.
rr,I H. 81,