Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1891-06-19
WHEAT INVESTIGATION.
WEARY GRIND STILL CONTINUES
IN COMMITTEE.

WEARY GRIND STILL CONTINUES
IN COMMITTEE.
A Number Of Witnesses Testify as to the
Shipping Of Wheat and soreenings-A
Great Deal Of Hearsay Put in as Evil
dence.
ST. PAUL. June 13.-Mr. Scott was re-
called when the committee reassemb]ed.
after reviewing his testimony he was
asked if he knew anything in the condi-
ton Of the elevators which would de-
ceiva the owners as to dirt. mo,
can't say do, he replied. At one time
the witness said Mr.. Ruply said the
dockage placed on some wheat by Mr.
Higgins, his assistant, was not suth-
cient, but second testsustained their
Judgment. Gen. Barrett asked the wit
ness if he ever knew of change in the
price Of wheat to be ordered. He said
that on June 8, 1889, F.. IL. Irons or.
dered an advance of scents per bushel
on some wheat, and the next day re
duction of cents per bushel on certain
grades. Each member of the combine
was assessed to pay Irons $1,000 salary.
There was committee who fixed the
prices ordinarily, but in their absence
Irons had authority to fix the prices
| arbitrarily. The only member Of this
committee he know was q Mr.. Cham
bers.
Charles Canning followed Mr.. Scott
to the stand for q continuance OF his
| examination.
"Did you never attempt to ascertain
| shortage in your elevator?" asked Mr..
| Cnihds.
MY elevator man was sick and did
| not LAST year..
The witness said that it would not be
| surprising if there was an overage of
Il 500 bushels in handling 56.OOO, 900
bushels. He thought a dockage of an
ounce to bushel of wheat was too
| much. Neither did he think one
fourth an ounce would be right, but he
! thought it could be done in less than an
ounce. He would not say that he had
| ever docked less than ono ounce In buy
VWhat do you think Of the effect Of
posting 100000 bushels of damaged
| wheat would boz" was asked.
II think it would rather bear the
wheat than bull it. =" He did not think
It would have affected tho wheat in
Minneapolis if the Duluth wheat had
been posted, but it would have
Parelyzed the Business
| Of the elevator in which the wheat was
! stored for time.
Afessrs. Clausen and Canning fur
nished entertainment most Of the after
| noon, beginning with discussion of the
| inspection rules AID concluding with an
| attempt on the part Of Mr. Clausen to
! discover the motive that led Mr.. Can
| ming to make complaint against the in
| spection department.. During the exam
| ination Mr.. Clausen made statement
| about the crop of 1890. The grain had
a green tinge, condition never before
| noticed, and supposed to have been
caused by hot winds. Farmers COM
planned against the grade, but when the
wheat went East it was graded still
lower. Mr.. Ciausen had Professor
| Harper make scientific examination of
the grain, and his letter proved that the
grades made by Mr.. Clausen were too
liberal. He could have answered the
complaints made by farmers by publish
ing tho letter, but as it would be de-
fense for the Eastern buyers, who were
objecting to the grade and thereby in
advice of Governor Merriam, did not
make the letter public.
How the Price Of Wheat Is Fixed.
ST. PAUL, June 15.-Charles Canning
again took the stand when the wheat
investigation was resumed. Inspector
Clausen was after him with several per-
| tinent questions, but the general answer
was II don't recollect.
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 admitted that they could store it in
any Of the elevators of the country until
ready to selfit. 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 himself had taken
advantage OF the re-inspection rule,
thought it nothing wrong.
I
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 liberally
with the shipper in grading.
George Tileston, of St. Cloud, gave
some interesting testimony on the way
the line elevators regulated the price Of
wheat in the country. He understood
these representatives held meetings oc-
casionally and arranged matters, but
did not think there was a combination
to regulate arbitrarily the price of grain.
| He understood that if at certain
seasons some Of these elevators closed
that they share the profits of those run
ming.
Assistant Attorney General Childs
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.. Tleston had understood that he
did. The witness acknowledged that
it would appear that the elevator COM
pany had been governed by the same
Told What He Had Heard.
ST. PAUL, June 16.-Mr. J. w. Pres
ton, formerly deputy grain inspector
at Duluth from 1885 to 1889, was the
first witness before the legislative in
vestigation committee. He had no
knowledge of any grain being shipped
| out without inspection, but had heard it
mentioned that such was the case. he
went on to tell what he had heard from
"some of the other boys"
Mr.. Preston attended to the out ship
ments, but he never knew of kernal
being sent out without inspection. He
did not think that dirty wheat could be
transmitted from the bins into boat
without the inspector knowing of it, but
before it would be possible to make the
discovery considerable amount of dirty
wheat might be emptled into the boat.
However, it was not the intention of
the inspectors to allow off grades or
dirty wheat to go out, and the inspec-
tors, so far as he knew were vigila1t in
! the discharge of their duties.
No Collusion.
There was no collusiou whatsoever 50
| far az he knew between the INSPECTORS