Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1891-06-26

compelled TO answer all questions put
to him. The question which Scott re-
fused to answer referred to his oonver-
sation with Mr.. Irons about tho reasons
why he wanted to leave, in fact was
to leave, St. Paul.
Continuing his refusal the witness
was placed under arrest for contempt.
Testified to an Elevator Combine.
ST.. PAUL, June 19.-At the opening
Of the wheat investigation Mr.. Bjorge
called attention to q speech which he
had made in the Legislature last winter
calling attention to tho grain shortages,
but Mr.. Severance drew from him the
admission that at the time he made the
speech none of tho wheat On which he
claimed shortage in 1890 had been 70
ceived at the Duluth elevator at all, but
had been sent by Mr.. Hartman, who
acted as commission man for Bjorge,
to the Superior elevators. Mr.. Bjorge
admitted that he was not scale expert,
and that he had never had an expert ex-
anime his scales, yet he believed them
correct. He also admitted that he had
never complained when the grade ct
grain shipped to Duluth had been raised
from No. northern to No / hard.
w. D. Bangs, agent <fof the Mime
sofa and Dakota elevator company at
Hendrum, had been engaged in buying
wheat for this company for three years.
The first year $1,000 bushels were
handled aud there was neither an over
age or shortage. The second year 81, 600
bushels were handled and there was
about 100 bushels shortage. Most of
the wheat was sent to Minneapolis the
first year and to Duluth and Superior
the second year. Mr.. Bangs then went
on to testify that there w1s IN agree
meot between the local buyers at Hen
drum that each elevator should handle
q fair portion Of all the wheat bought.
Mr.. Bangs further said that he had
received no notice from Duluth Of any
shortage during the last year. He never
heard Of any combination to keep down
the prices OF wheat, but admitted there
was an agreement among q number Of
not to buy any more than q
peoportionate share Of the wheat of any
one district. He did not know that il
part Of the elevators closed th1t they
shared the profits OF those that contin-
ued to do business. Cansaing's elevator
was shut down once, but that was for
the puypoee OF making clean up
+. Mofet; of Rsnd1um, was the next
witness. He did some of the buying for
Mr.. Canning, they together having .
small elevator at that place. He rot his
prices anywhere, sometimes from tho
telegraph operator. The firm was into
an agreement with othef buyers not to
buy all the wheat in any one place, but
he did not understand that the agree
ment related to prices. They shipped q
good deal OF their wheat to Duluth, and
in tho early fall Of 1850 and 1890 he lest
: good deal by grades, but never had
any cause to complain Of tho dockage.
The witness then produced his records.
E1perts Show shortage.
ST.. PAUL, June 23.-The wheat In
vestigation was again taken up by put.
ting G. W. Brandborg, = grain dealer Of
Henning, Otter Tail county, on the
stand. He stated that he had owned a
fiat warehouse for some years but had
lately disposed Of it to a stock company.
Since then he had been renting. He had
always bought according to state in
spection rules and had shipped mostly
to Duluth. Charles Canning had handled
the major portion Of his grain at Duluth.
he was we'll satisfied with his xrsdee
during the first two years. In Mime
apolis he could not get his wheat graded
hard except in the spring. The third
year was that Of frosted wheat, and the
grades were wild. He had frequently
lost grades, and described how'll BE
thought possibly his commission man
had not always held out caes for rain
spection when they should have been.
and had sometimes held them out when
there was no chance to raise the GRADE.
he wished to confirm his complaint 70
the dockage placed on clean wheat,
This he thought was altogether too
heavy. In Minneapolis he had the
grade Of some cars raised, and the
dockage had been increased 90 - ia
make up the difference. Witness said
the railroad companies favored the
agents by allowing them cars when
private buyers could get none. He had
been blocked for days at time, while
the agents could get all tho cars they re-.
quired. When tho lawyers had finished,
Mr.. Claasen took the witness in hand,
and the latter admitted that he had
bought wheat for q higher grade than il
could bring. The experts appointed t.
investigate the books of tho elevator
companies at Duluth were ready with
their report. It stated that 279, ,Ooe
bushels Of wheat were shipped Of which
there is no record 80 far as the experts
were able to asoertain. The experts viii
testify in explanation Of de report, and
Mr.. Severance sid last night that thsy
Woald show that Of tho shortage o1
4Q,oe6 bushels 36o, 900 wss the burn,
wheat shipped out without inspection
by pormi1s7n Of the state board. The
remaining II Oo6 bushels shoztage would
be nearfy, il not q1ita. explained awaJ
By showing cl6Eica errors and othcl
IiGEakee IL tho records.