The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-10-25
MORE GANG-WORK.

The Tactics Of the Combine.
The following article is taken from
the Dawson Sentinel. The editor,
Mr.. G. j. COghlan, is one of the truest
spirits, and most Independent think
ers on the Minnesota provincial press.
We shall hear from him again. The
condition related is but one of a dOz-
en- which has marked the slaughter
Of granger rights during the past
five years. Read it, farmers, and let
us know what you think:
If the farmers of Minnesota are de-
luding themselves with the idea that
there is a free and open market for
their grain it is high time that the il
fusion be dispelled. The fact is that
to-day in spite of the folios of grain
laws" warehouse laws" Elevator
laws" ct cetera, that cucumber our
statute books, the primary grain
markets OF this state are entirely I'M
der the control OF the failro ad MANA
gers. Our high-priced and choicely
preserved Ornapent-the honorable
board OF Railway and Warehouse
COmmissioners-can politely request
Mr.. Truesda1e or Mr. J. J. Hill to al
low Tree and open market on their
70 ads, and these gentlemen can as
politely tell the commissioners to go
to the devil. And they might as well
GO to the devil for all the good they
can do in this matter. Any railroad
in this state can grant any one man
or any certain number of men a mon
opoly of the grain handling business
on their line, and every bushel of
grain that is shipped must pay any
tribute they may see fit to exact, be
it one cent or ten. 1t is true that a
farmer can ship his grain for himself
if he can haul enough in one day to
load car. but not one farmer in a
hundred can do this $50 it cuts no
figure in the case. The generally
prevalent idea that any man can
erect a grain house and buy and ship
on his own account regardless of the
Minneapolis wheat rings, is entirely
erroneous. No man or body Of men
can engage in that business unless it
be satisfactory to the railroad man.
ayers. And in order to be satisfac-
tory it is necessary that buyers must
be connected with the Minneapolis
rings
All this information has been &C
quired by Mr.. VIM. P. Murray, of
this county, at an expense of num-
Der of dollars and agOOd many days
time. Mr.. Murray had made all the
arrangements to erect and operate a
line of independent grain houses on
this road and was supported in the
matter by many business men and
farmers who were aware that the
elevator companies now operating
houses on this line had formed a pool
and were in reality but one concern.
The feeling at the east end of the line
where there are no farmer houses was
much stronger than in this county
where at present our markets are up
held by three Independent houses.
When Mr.. Murray, after spending
a good deal of time and considerable
money, had perfected his arrange
ments for handling the grain, he ap-
piled to the railroad company for
permission to build the houses. He
was met with a fat refusal and in
formed that no more Independent
houses could be erected on this road.
An appeal to the railroad commits
sioners was barren of results, as they
acknowledged themselves to be pow
erless to act in the matter.
There is no law to prevent the rail-
road company granting a monopoly
to any one concern of the entire
grain business on it's line. Thus all
the boosted farmers legislation"
amounts to nothing-absolutely no
thing. For if one concern is privileg-
ed to handle all the grain shipped
over any line there is nothing to pre-
vent them stealing as much of it as
they please. OF what use are low