Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1892-04-21

contains the statement that the elevator com.
euch others buslEess TRANSACTIONS. Another IN.
stance was the buyin. off OF ]. NJ. Stowe of Wa
dena.
IT IS UPON THIS TESTIMONY,
only portion OF which / have specially referred
10. that find myself forced to find from the tes-
tlmony tnat a combine does exist to controlt the
price OF wheat in the State of Minnesota and the
Northwest. 1t is true that the investigation into
the history and autonomy, the detail. circum-
stances and economy OF its working and main-
tenance has not been pursued to that extent
which the lmpendingdanger ana tyranny against
the interests OF the producer imperativey de-
manded
The report enters into thorough discus
SION of the matter of weighing wheat ut
Duluth, and its doc age and inspection.
taking up the subject of the shipment of
uninspccted and 5in-burnt wheat.
Thereport proceeds to aggregate the tes-
tlmony III regard to these non-inspectcd
shipments and finds q total OF sos, $40 BUSH
els shipped out OF Duluth elevators be-
tween 1856 and $50 uninspected.
Alter making allowance for lin-burat
wheat there remained $50, 900 bushels.
how was this 10000 bushels OF wheat accu-
mulated? BY what means did 1000 bushels
OF wheat belonging to the producers OF Mime
sofa and the Northwest come into the possess
sion OF the elevators OF Duluth? That question
cannot now be answered specifically under the
testimony. Whether it came from short weights
or whether it came from unswept cars. or
whether it came from improper dockage or
whether it came from not cleaning out dockaee.
or whether it came from abstractions made
from grain being shipped Eastward or whether
1t came from all OF these causes or from causes
mony does not now plainly and specifically dis
close. 1t remains therefore, as yet an nnsolved
proposition as to whether the inspection de-
partment and the weighing department OF the
State of Minnesota have not by short weights
and large dockage permitted this vast accretlon.
or on the other hand whether this accretion
and accumulation has not been made in viOln-
ton OF the inspection and weighing service by
the predatory spirit of these elevator CON-
panieS.
Recommendations.
From a consideration OF the entire testi-
mony, and taking the public elevator sys.
tenn i'll the condition that it now is, l
celency and the LEGISLATURE of the state that
some means should lie provided for weighing the
grain by the railroad companies at the station
where it Is received. and the common carrier
should be held responsible for delivery i'll equal
weight.
In view OF all the testimony, further recon-
important measures for the proper protection
OF the wheat producers of this state. and that is
that all persons in IT," State OF Minnesota desr-
ing to market wheat shall have equal facilities
TO REACH THE TRACK
OF railroads at Minnesota stations. and that a
law be passed by which It is made the duty alb
solutc OF every railroad or railway corporation,
association or company now OF at any future
time operating u railroad OF railway us II com,
mon carrier within this state to provide and
furnish at all stations established or that may
be established OH their roads sidetrack facilities
for all persons or parties to erect and maintain
private elevat tors orwarehouses OF u capacity OF
not less than 900 bushels each for the storage
OF grain while awaiting shipment OH such line OF
railroad or railway and to permit and allow
such elevators and warehouses to be erected,
maintained, controlled and operated by amy
person or corporation desiring to erect, nl;lin-
tain, control and operate the same for said per-
sons, and further making it the duty absolute OF
RI nnn1r ~ nj mr. n
ceve and carry over their line or lines OF rail-
way all grain offered for shipment to and from
such private elevators and warehouses. and
further making it the duty OF said railroad
Companies and corporations to receive di-
| rectly into it's cars and carry over
Its e all cr or or Lines in OF load Td ns
such stations without any previous storage and
as offered.
1 desire also to coincide with the recommended
ton made to your eXcellency by the majority
report i'll as far as such recommendations are
made or modified by Recommendation which
herein make
1t seems to me and further recommend that
under the present system each inspector should
be charged with the duty OF seeing that the
CARS WE'RE PROPERLY CLEANED,
and that all grain i'll or other vehicles car
ried to public elevator shall be actually re-
ceived into the scales and weighed
1t seems proper also TO recommend that
where cars are inspected on the track by the in
spector and are liable to remain for any time
whatever before they are unloaded they should
be resealed by the Inspector making such nspec-
ton.
also recommend to your excellency and the
legislature that Whatever system OIL grading and
inspection shall hereafter seem fit 10 be est:ib
lisheh by law s,ich system of grading and nspec-
ton shall never be permitted to affect the sale
OF wheat on its merits in the country. and i'll no
case to permit 1t TO be graded at the country
station by IL state official.
Before concluding this report feel it my duty
to call your excellency's attention to the fact
that the labors OF this investiga ting committee
huN SHIPMENT
| OF non-insIecte ed grain is concerned to only the
elevator system at Duluth. 1t certainly is q
| suspicious circumstance that these shipments OF
| non-inspected grain at Duluth have occurred
| while the general market OF the State OF Mime
| sofa was i'll the hands OF a combine. as l have
| endeavored to show is exhibited by the tes-
| tlmony.
THE TESTIMONY FURTHER SHOWS
| that the wheat growers OF Minnesota are dis
| eliminated against in the matters of freight
| rates. The distance from st. Cloud to Duluth
is nearly forty miles less than from Minneapolis
| to Duluth. by way OF the Great Northern and
| Eastern Minnesota. a corporation owned and
by Mr.. Grover The rate on wheat from Mime
| apolis to Duluth is ~ cents. while from St.
Cloud to Duluth, forty miles less, the rate is "
| cents per bushel. This being single instance OF
the general discrimination against the wheat
growers OF Minnesota and the Northwest and in
favor of the milling combine OF Minneapolis:
| And wish to give it rs my opinion tnat If the
board of railroad and warehouse commissioners
| had observed the law i'll relation to the posting
of damaged grain at Duluth and had held the
Duluth elevator companies to /: strict observ-
nce of that law there probably would never
have been any cause for the expenditure OF &c.
OOO which has been made by this committee.
! IL seems o me that the
DOoIt TO THESE ILLICIT SHIPMENTS
was opened by the permission to disregard the
provisions OF the law in regard to the posting Ut
grain, IL permission which, it seems to ME, was
not contemplated by the board OF commission
ers. but which the elevator companies have
made the excuse for their clandes.iue and secret
shipment OF nolnspccted wheat.
The testimony OF Mr.. Pil.Sbury before the
joint committee is interesting i'll that it at
| tempts to lay the entire blame OF the depressed
condition OF the Minnesota wheat market at
tile door of the wheat pit gamblers on the board
OF trade i'll the city of Chicago. l am not dis
posed to agree with Mr.. Pilisbury III this
opinion and his opinion form i'll view OF the
testimony taken before this committee lbelleve
that the present depressed condition OF the
| market in Minnesota is due more
LARGELY TO THE COMBINE
which in my opinion exists between the elevator
systems and the railroads of Minnesota and
| the Northwest than to the reflected influence OF
either the Chicago or New York markets.
What mean by the erection OF elevators at
Duluth Is simply the erection OF elevators BY
the state. carried OH i'll such manner that the
interests OF the individual producer OF wheat in
Minnesota and the Northwest shall be forever
maintained as separate individual rights. and
not massed into one general aggregate, to be