Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1891-05-22
ELEVATOR INVESTIGATION.
The 11innesots 11Uastative Csmmitte,
Settles Down t. Rusiness.

The 1dinnesots HAisastive Csmmittee
Settles Down e Business.
ST.. PAUL, :sMays16. wheat in.
spection investigating committee ap
pointed by the last legislature met a
the capitol and made made consider.
able progress during the day with The
examination Of witnesses. There was 3
full attendance OF the members Of the
committee, and the first question to
come up was as % whether Erwin, the
attorney representing the grain growers
association should have power and au.
thority to summon and examine wit.
nesses. Attorney General Clapp said he
had no objection @ Mr.. Erwin being
allowed to assist in conducting the in.
vestigation, but this did not meet the
views Of Gen. Barett, who said the
grain growers wanted Mr.. Erwin vested
with full power md authority. The
matter was settledAby Mr.. Erwin being
accorded the right to lay before the
committee the names Of any witnesses
he might desire toshave called and the
committee would act upon such names
as it might see fit.
Two witassses Testified.
Assistant Attofuey General Childa
conducted the exaifmna ation Of witnesses
and the whole daytWas taken up with
hearing the testimony Of Pattison and
Lynch, formerly employees in the North.
ern Pacific yard at Duluth. Both these
men testified before the house commit
tee, and there made several charges
against the elevator companies and
their employees, furnishing the greater
part of the foundation for the charge OF
stealing wheat preferred against the
elevator people. In cross-examination
they were somewhat mixed on some
points but stick to the main points, that
good wheat had been loaded at night and
shipped as screenings.
Inspected the Elevators.
DULUTH, Minn., May 19.-The com.
mittee investigating the alleged wheat
steal Of Duluth arrived here aud pro.
ceeded to inspect Elevators E and D.
The committee first witnessed the hand
ling Of grain at elevator E, and then
made careful examination of the bins
carefully inspecting the pockets at the
bottom from which the alleged stealing
occurred. Witness Ario was asked tc
point out the defects in the bin but was
unable to do SO, saying his testimony
had reference to the condition of the
bins in 1886: Elevator D was thor.
oughly examined, also. After dinner
the state inspection Office was visited
and the committee listened to long ex.
planation by Mr.. Clausen of the manner
in which grain is inspected and &C
counts are kept.
Investigating the Books
DULUTH, May 1Y.-The wheat investi.
eating committee met at $50 and pro,
ceeded at once to business. Messrs.
Geissel, Moore and Smith were ap
pointed committee to select clerks to
make correct abstract of the wheat
shipments made by the elevators from
1886 to date. The elevator companies
at West Superior were included in the
properly under Minnesota laws, having
given bonds to the Duluth board o1
trade to obey the grain laws Of
the state. Swan johnson, q labore1
who had worked in elevators B and
D since 1882, loading and unloading
cars testified that there had been no ap.
pIeCldD1o waste, anu no SeCIeSy dDOUl
filing boats. He testified that whatever
wheat there was left in the cars after
unloading was often gathered up by
outsiders, called "sweepers, and that
this wheat was sold to other parties
who 1nado business Of dealing in it.
He caused sensation by saying that
Ario used to buy it himself and ship il
back into the elevator. On cross exam
ination he stated that transit boats in
many instances loaded at night.