Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1891-07-01
THE WHEAT INVESTIGATION.
An Adjournment to BE Taken Until
january.

THE WHEAT lNVEST lGAilON.
january.
ST. PAUL. June s4.-In the wheat in
vestigation, the experts appointed to
investigate the books of the elevator
companies at Duluth were ready with
their report. 1t stated that 279, ,095
bushels of wheat We're shipped of which
there is no record so far as the experts
were able to ascertain. The experts will
testify in explanation of the report, and
Mr.. Severance said last night that they
would show that of the shortage OF
$780, bushels 0,e00 was the burnt
wheat shipped out without inspection
by permission of the state board. The
remaining 1905 bushels shortage would
be nearly, if not quite, explained away
by showing clerical errors and other
mistakes in the records.
Explaining the Shortage.
ST. PAUL. June 25-The first question
decided by the wheat Investigating com.
mittee was as to how much pay should
be allowed Attorney Irwin. 1t was
finally decided to allow him $400. This
question settled, Eric Olson and Mueller,
and their paper, The State, came in for
roast. A resolution condemning an
article written by Olsen, which recently
appeared in the newspaper The State,
was adopted, characterizing the article
as dirty and scurrilous.
In the afternoon the committee turned
to the statement submitted by the ex-
perts who have been at work at Duluth
examining the books of the elevators.
The figures show that zoos bushels
have been shipped out without lnspec-
ton, but the claim of the defense Is
that 100000 bushels of that amount
consists of the bin burnt wheat shippe
out with tie permission of the grain
commissioner, and the remaining 19,095
bushels can be accounted for in salts.
factory manner, Mr.. Erwin urged that
the elevator men be asked to produce
their private books for examination.
Mr.. Severance asked that the defense
be allowed to proceed with its case at
once. Assistant Attorney General
Childs said if it was necessary to call
for the books he would do so. The COM
mittee decided to hear the case of the
defense first.
MI. Severance wished to cross exam
inc expert Willis. so the latter took the
stand. The witness said that in check
ing the books he had not searched for an
explanation for any apparent discrep::
ancy, but merely copied the books and
presented what was shown on them.
Item after item in these statements was
examined, and in many cases where no
inspection was reported an explanation
was found. In one case some Il, ,00O
bushels were reported having been ship
ped on the wrong vessel. These ex:
plantations cover nearly all the 10000
bushels of grain shipped without inspee-
ton, aside from that which was bin
burnt.
Comparing Schedules.
ST. PAUL, j une 26.-Session spent in
comparing the schedules, with Expert
Willet on the stand.
ST. PAUL, June 27.-For once the
wheat committee started on its laUors
without row between the attorneys,
The items made by the experts were
gone over and the discrepancies taken
up one by one. 1t was very routine
work and Mr.. Irwin soon wearied of it
and asked if the committee was to spend
the entire day in going over these sched-
ules, searching for a few errors supposed
to be inexcusable to experts, but were
all right under the circumstances under
which the old clerks labored.
Mr.. Severance objected to shutting off
the examination, and said he proposed
to show that whele pages of falsiied
records were submitted in the old sched-
ule, and also that the old clerks had ac-
cess to the inspection books, notwith-
standing their statement that they had
been unable to see the Out-inspection
books.
The war was on again. Mr.. Sevatson
said he considered Mr.. Irwin's request
the most reasonable one yet made, but
in order to Justify Mr.. Olson in
his charges that the clerks OF
the present committee had beer
to Duluth to fix up the books in the in,
terest of the elevator companies, be
should insist on going over all the sched
ules, although it was nonsense and 9
farce from beginning to end.
Mr.. Smith was warmed up by this
time and said: IT am tired Of this use
less wrangle OF attorneys. We wasted
80 per cent. of our time Thursday il
listening to these disputes, and I thinl
| it is time we went on with the investi
| CATION" -..-
The arguments were choked off and
the investigation went on, showing how
cars of coal were put down by the old
clerks as wheat shipped without inspec,
ton, and how bags of screenings shipped
from the Imperial mills were chalked
down as wheat surreptitiously shipped
from the elevators,
To Adjourn Until January,
ST. PAUL, June 29.--The tedious pro-
ceedings Of the wheat investigation
committee are drawing to a close, al
least for the present. When the com.
mittee met Witness Edward McManus
was recalled, and sda examination con
tinued on the same lines as Saturday, il
an effort to break down the statements
contained in the old house schedules
Nothing sensational was developed, al
though discrepancies of greater or lesser
Importance were discovered. After the
| noon adjournment q short executive
session was held, at which the commit
tee decided to adjourn until the first
Tuesday in January, 1892, as soon as al
the evidence regarding the Duluth ele
vators has been taken.
The sessions will be resumed on tina
date, and any and all complaints
against other terminal wheat shipping
points, r,otabls St. PAIL a4ad Minneapo
lis, will be heard. A subpoena was is
sued for Depot Agent Thomas, of tn,
Northern Pacific at Duluth, requiring
him to bring the shipping books foi
September and October of the presen
year, also all switching slips and differ
ent railroads interchanging switching
slips. The subpoena was issued at tn
request of Attorney Erwin.
Russia's Population ITO, 100000.
ST. PETERSBURG, June 30.-The Cen
tral Statistical society, of St. Peters
burg announces that in December las
the inhabitants of the empire numbered
10000, 900, an annual increase Of 800,
600. In the cities and large towns q
Russia an annual average of five TING
as many illegitimate children are bor1
as is the case in the rural districts Q
the country.
| Triple ALLIANCE NensHed.
Z