The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1892-05-13

r.; :. You understood that there was . pool between the private buyers
ana % elevator companies. Ans. Yes sir. @. And they all agreed 70
stand to the prices agreed between them and this agent represented the lie
vator companis?"
MT. Scott in his testimony gavea partial list of the names OF the par
ties that belonged to the elevator combine known To ax;at tbronobont 49,
entre Northwest. de also produced the postal cards used by Mr.. Irons in
nou!ylng q evator companies, and produced railroad lists giving the
freight from each station to MINNEAPOLIS and denom;nataa Minnoeno,s
price nt ana 1t his testimony that Mr.. Irons had occupied this Office
nom - nst OF july 1890, and that prior to that there was a man by
the name OF Barber, and prior to that Chas. E. Wenzeu. 20. Yon nnler-
$1,000 rom MN distinctly that the purpose of this combination was to
mold down the price OF wheat and grain did you. Ans. Yes, sir"
"Ans. There is a set of books that 1 opened up M dav to look at. and
opo 10 leithand side OF the page is such language a North Dakota Ee-
sa'or o ana minneapolis Elevator Co., etc, and following this, on the
same page are quite a number of figures. asked what thew were and who
Kep. tnat set Of books. This conversation was with Mr.. Irons himself.
ne oo INT those were very private, that 1 had better not be seen
looking at those, that he was looking at them one day when the old pen-
5leman camei in and told him that he had better leave them alone and that
u d oeCter let nc elevator companies see him looking at them"
Mr.. Irons was afterward examined before the committee and he admit
geo "a n 9 furnished the list price to private buyers and was what he
general utility man toelevator companies who owned and operated
an aggregate of 1 500 elevators. 1t was also undispoted that MI. Irons
received his salary from the elevator companies referred to in proportion
&c IN NUMBER Ole elevators operated by each company. The testimony of
Mr.. Scott was corrobo1ated by the letter introduced before the committee
signed by F. P. Shelby general traffic manager OF the Great Northern Rail-
way Co. addressed to Mr.. Jensen, manager of the Farmers Elevator at
Nelson, MINI, which was Is follows
Great Northern R. R.
Montana Central Railway.
~1 p@1atS : S9as Es9s' R 4 psSao p.,u,u
P. P. SHELBY, Gen. Traf. Mgr.
ST. PAUL, Mimi, Oct. 18th, 1891.
Mr. JENSEN, sEc'Y, OF THE FARMERS ELEVATOR Co.,
DEAR sR-our travelling freight agent who was recently in your vidn-
|ySa a danye T Us se1 p1 ye9 a asss sent to o ns1 By M Mr. p Frsnk T r. ian price ef S tfaegsaphssa
to all the various elevator interests in the Northwest: / don't exactly
ON en9 the " snSe arrangements 7o he % taais, but would suggest =: i + s4 you write hi"
Gen. Trat Mgr.
Among other evidence corroborating the existence of the combine. 7
must report that the testimony of MI. Amsden contains the fact that the
elevator companies employ travelling agents and that the travelling
agents of one company look after the business transactions of the other
companies and in 81 doing examine the books OF such other companies. l
quote from the testimony Of Mr.. Amden.
cans. 1t was necessary for the elevator companies to save expense
wherever it is possible. In consequence OF this W e have divided up our
travelling men and divided up their territory in order to save carfare and
tx save time and let or instance the Northwestern Elevator CO TRAVELLING
agents look alter some Of my agents and my travelling man look after
some OF theirs. In the territory where their lei are looking after my men
they would naturally have to look at the books if they thought it was
necessary.
With regard to the employment of Mr.. Irons Mr.. Amsden testified:
There are some 25 o 30 elevator companies represented in Mime
apois. They each thought instead of each company keeping q clerk, to
look after this class of business and to do such other things as he may be
called upon to do, that they had better hire one man to look after it all
ana IN way each companys proportion in the expenses would be a
mere bagatele compared with what it was formerly. Mr. Irons acts in that
capacity. MI. Irons furthermore watches the market and advises M sew
eral times a week as to their close"
Another instance of combination which l wish to cite, is the buying off
OF :: NJ: Stowe at wadena, by three elevator companies, the Northern
Pacific, the North Dakota and A. A. Turner. MI. S. NJ. Owen testified to
a conversation with MI. Gordon as follows:
He (Gordon) spoke as ii it was quite a common thing, quite a n ordi
nary business transaction, and said OF course we paid MIR. Stowe $50. o
course we don't pay the $150-it comes out Of the farmers that sell their
wheat at Wadena." The testimony shows that Mr. Stowe was a private
buyer purchasing wheat at Wadena.
1t il upon this testimony, only a portion of which I have specifically re-
erred to, that find myself forced to find from the testimony that a COM
bne does exist to control the price OF wheat in the state of MINI, and the
Northwest. 1t is true that the investigation into the history and autono-
my, the detail circumstance and economy Of it's working and maintenance
has not been pursued to that extent which the impending danger and
tyranny against the interests of the producer imperatively demand. 1t
the whole truth shall have been discovered and the abuses and injustice re-
moved. And earnestly recommend to the executive and legislative depart
ments of this state to continue the path Of this investigation until Justice
can be and will be fully maintained on behalf of the citizens Of this state.
The Arena passed the fifth mile John Smith, the clever sea dog,
post in its history with the May whose winning ways won the heart
number, and is now two and a half of Pocahontas. On Nav IS. 1907,
years old. No other OF the great he placed his foot on Virginia soil.
reviews is Sc hosptable to the new To-day, nnumerable John Smiths
thought that lis sweeping like a vast keep his memory green. Where III
wave over this country a Is the Arena, the George WashiDgtons, William
and perhaps no better evidence of Shakespeare, Christopher Coum-
tho vomtv of that preat thOuchtI buSeSA n Others OF this dAv? They