St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-06-13
OFF THE TRACK.
Little Is Heard Nowadays OF the
Alleged Duluth Wheat Steal.


Alleged Duluth Wheat Steal.
Witness Charles Canning came into the
chamber occupied by the wheat case in
vestigators yesterday with a facial ex-
preston that betokened anxiety for a
cessation Of the fusilade of questioning
and counter-questioning to which he
has been subjected during the last day
or two. Inspector ClauSen was after
him this time. That gentleman wanted
to know if there was not more damp
wheat shipped in the fall than at any
other season of the year. Canning at
tempted to avoid the question, but
finally said he knew nothing about it,
did you grade all wheat raised in the
same field alike?'' was asked
y never handled much of that wheat
DO you mix the grades or keep them
separate, as in public eleyators." Liss
That all depends 1@i'sY
ION my judgment do as I please in my
own elevator
7 thought you did. Did you buy any damp
W heat last fall?' -
Il don't recollect.'' ~
why don't your" se47i 3
II am not trying to run a farm, an elevator
and threshing machine, or to keep my
yearly accounts in my head. am not ruu-
ming menagerie.''
NO, and you can't run the inspection de-
partment''
And my desires don't run that way
Mr.. Clausen took up the law enacted
by the legislature while Canning was a
member of that body. Can you quote
a single line of the iaw?" ne asked.
The witness said he understood the
law, but could not quote it otfhand. The
intent in framing it was to place the
wheat of Minnesota Oh the markets of
the world on the same grade as it was
received from the farmer. If shut up
alone for tWenty-four hours he could
write good deal about the law.
Mr.. Clausen next took up the question
Of the elevators in West Superior, and
wanted to know whether the witness
thought the storing of grain from Min
neSota and Dakota in Wisconsin worked
an injury to the farmers of this state.
Witness said that the time had been
when it did, but DOW he did not know.
He did not know whether it was right
for Minnesota inspectors to inspect this
grain. In fact, he knew nothing about
it. Mr.. Erwin took the witness IN hand,
but failed to induce him to remember
anything.
Mr.. Canning corrected his statement
made the previous day that the farmers
were compelled to sell their wheat early
and admit that they could store it in any
of the elevators of the country until
ready to sell it. Canning admitted that
the farmers sold their poorest wheat in
the fall. which would naturally tend to
make the proportion of low grades
greater. And last, but not least, Can
ming admitted that he had himself taken
advantage OF the reinSpection rule,
which he was condemning, and had
thought it nothing wrong.
AT the afternoon session DENNY In
spector Hammond. of Duluth, was
placed on the stand. The witness knew
nothing as to the raising of the grade by
Cross, but he said the invariable rule of
the department was TO deal Literally
with the shipper in grading.
George Tileston, of st. Cloud, gave
some interesting testimony OIL the way
the line elevators regulated the price
of wheat i'll the country. He under
stood these representatives held meet
ings occasionally and arranged matters,
but did not think there was combina-
ton to regulate arbitrarily the price of
grains. He understood that if at GER
tain seasons some of these elevators
closed that they share the profits of
those running. Mr.. Tlleston has been
thorn i'll the sides of these elevator
combinations. In buying wheat they
allowed four cents a bushel margin for
the expenses of handling. AS he was
not put to this expense he always in
Structed his agents to pay four
cents more than the quotations sent out
by Mr.. Irons. Sometimes they met his
figures when buying in the same field.
He handles about 100000 bushels a
year.
Asst. Atty. Gen. ChiIds questioned
the gentleman from st. Cloud as to
whether he knew that Frank Irons, of
Minneapolis, furnished price lists to all
the lawyers of the Northwest.
Mr.. Tiles ton had understood that he
did
Cross-queStioned by Mr.. Severance,
the witness did not know that Irons fur
nished the lists to lawyers. he only as
sumed that he did so from hearsay.
Mr.. Erwin took the witness later, and
by a half an hours examination en-
deayored to show that the combination
existed as claimed, and that Jones was
the agent of the concern in fixing
prices. His questioning was also di-
rected to the establishment of the fact
that witness had agreed with the North
western Elevator company upon these
prices. The witness acknowledged that
it would appear that the elevator COM
pany had been governed by the same
list.
Attorney Severance called the atten-
ton of the witness to the fact that he
had referred to this time as year and
a half ago. Frank Irons was not in the
business at that time. Mr.. Tilestou re-
membered that shch was the case, and
S ated that at the time of which he
spoke he had received the lists from E.
B. Barber. of Minneapolis. The wit
ness was asked by Mr.. Erwin whether
q thrna+nnnH lNxya -,,lo
vator company that in case he paid
more for wheat than four cents plus
the furnished list price. He replied
that he had not, but that he had, when
paying more than the said price, re-
ceived letters expressing surprise from
other companies.
So far $3.50 of the appropriation has
been expended.
The committee adjourned to this
morning.