St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-07-03
ST. PAUL NEWS.
GRAIN AND PRODUCE.
An Interesting Meeting OF the st.
Paul Board Of Trade.
Action Looking to Promotion OF the City's
Traffic In Produce.

object Of discussing ways and means OF max
ing the board more effective in developing
the grain and produce market.
President Hubbard called the meeting to
order, and in an excellent speech, lucid,
comprehensive and forcible, explained the
object of the meeting.
The ex-president, Mr.. Heyderstaedt, was
the first speaker, and he stated that he
was heartily in sympathy with his successor
in his endeavor to diffuse more life into the
board. He thought one of the first things to
be done was to obtain better freight and
transit facilities, and he showed at length
how the present tariff rates discriminate
against st. Paul.
Mr.. McCauley spoke upon the same sub
jeet at considerable length, and urged the
necessity of the board as body, appealing
to the railroad companies. 1t was useless
for one member as an individual trader DO
ing so. The railroad authorities would give
him a courteous hearing and that would end
the matter; but if the board, as large and
influential body of traders, was to take some
action, there would be some hopes OF re-
dress of present grievances. He thought
that we should not forget in our negotiations
with railroads that we have the Mississippi
river.
Mr. l.. A. Gilbert spoke more particularly
about the wheat trade. He said that our
market for wheat was very much less than it
was three years ago, in consequence OF rail
road pooling and transit agreements. The
railroad companies seemed to ignore st.
Paul altogether or rather to treat her as a
little way side station. The discriminating
against st. Paul by raising the rates from
western stations to ST. Pau, while the through
rates remained the same was gross wrong,
and tended to drive business from the city.
Only lately one of our largest wheat dealing
firms moved up 10 Minneapolis.
Mr.. Sterrett-But they are sick of it.
Mr.. Gilbert-Grain paying zoe per 100
pounds into st. Paul is sent to Chicago or
Milwaukee at Doc per 100 pounds, while ship
ments coming from the Northern Pacific or
Manitoba roads pay from zoe to 25c per 100
pounds as fixed by the pool. Again, coarse
grains paying zoe per 100 pounds to st. Paul
can be sent to stations on the same road $50
miles east of us at 25c per 100 pounds, while
TO pay local to st. Paul and local out the rate
is from CSC to 42c per 100 pounds. Mr.. Gil
bert gave examples illustrating these facts.
The tendency is, he said, to drive trade away
from US and prevent the accumulation of
stocks at this point, and our dealers have to
be simply middlemen, taking orders from
one end Of the road and forwarding on to
the other. Mr.. Gilbert argued the appoint
ment of a committee Oh transportation which
should endeavor to secure such rates of
freight from the railway companies that the
rate into st. Paul and the rate from ST. Paul
70 other points should not be greater than
the through rate. Another matter of import
ance, he contended, was better elevator IA
rilities, and means of Weighing grains at
less than a cent per bushel, which was about
all the profit Of handling. A public weigher
and hay inspector, he considered, were both
necessary.
Mr. Sterrett general manager of the Ster-
TeH Elevator company, says he found him
self to be q man without country. In
Minneapolis they call him st. Paul man
and at st. Paul they no longer look at him as
one Of themselves. He said the facilities for
handling wheat were greatly in favor of st.
Paul when compared to Minneapolis, and he
finds that he could sell wheat at Minneapolis
when he was at st. Paul better than he can
now. A voice, ''you had better come back.
| am coming back. Applause. He did
not think the railroads had given any advant-
nge TO the milling city. He found the same
disadvantages of transit existed in both
cities. He could sell transits in st. Paul as
well as in Minneapolis.
Mr. GILBERT could not do so, I have
tried it.
Mr. McCauley-We should impress it
upon the railroad companies that st. Paul
and Minneapolis have grown out of pantalets
and are not mere way stations to Chicago.
The president suggested that the meeting
should gather up the fruits of the discussion
in practical action.
Mr. Gilbert then moved that the president
appoint committee, to include himself as
chairman, upon freights and transit.
Carried.
The president appointed as such committee
Messrs. Sterrett, Gilbert, Hayderstaedt and
Hoxslc
Mr.. McIrath moved that committee of
three or five be appointed to consider the
question of appointing public weigher.
The motion was carried.
Mr.. Hayderstead moved that the president
be requested to call another general meeting
of the board and invite the agent of the
1obbers union to be present
Mr. Mcllrath moved as an amendment
that committee be appointed to confer with
the jobbers union. The amendment was
carried
Mr.. McIlrath then moved for n committee
of three to investigate the charges ard facil-
fly of transferring grain ond other produce.
Carried.
The president appointed Messrs. McIlrath,
Bigelow and Doreu to act as such committee.
The president spoke of the Importance of
giving more attention to butter and eggs, and
would like to hear the opinion of Mr. Bohrer
upon the question of butter inspection.
Mr.. Bohrer did not think any thing could
be done. II was true that considerable but
ter WAS handled here, but he could not see
any advantage of an inspector.
Mr.. Gilbert advocated an organization.
Mr.. Hoxsie said some time ago the firm OF
HoXsie Il jaeger bought Frake's process of
re-worklng butter, but II did not work, as all
the good butter was bought up and none but
the poor stuff left for them. This was the
best msrkct in the country for cheese. butter
and eggs. These products brought higher
prices here than elsewhere. He thought a
good plan would be 10 have one day for but
ter and cheese on the board, aud he moved
for committee to cons. .er the matter The
motto was carried.
Mr.. President appointed Messrs. Bohrer,
Grant HoNsie, Griggs and Harrison for this
committee.
The president said he thought the time oc-
cupied by the meeting was not thrown away.
This child tihe board was now three wears
old and twas time it was out of its cradle,
He believed in good live board or graceful
ly stepping down ana saying the establish
mcut OF board was ono ofthe inaccomplish-
able p~~hlems. But he had no doubt If the
committees did faithful work the board
would feel the advautare.