St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-04-08

ton from any other available and legit-
innate source.
In the Main, True.
Testimony was received tending ia
establish the charges so made. The
committee regret that several OF the
witnesses who testified touching the
, charge in question were somewhat as
persed by counsel during the investi-
CATION on account of the testimony so
given. While it is no doubt true that
some may have been inaccurate as 10
portions of their testimony and not
a few Of their statements we're made
with greater pOSitiyeneSS than either
the truth or their knowledge
would warrant, it is the opinion
of the committee, nevertheless, that they
ought to be wholly eXOnerated from any
attempt to testify otherwise than in ac-
cOrdance with the facts as they under
stood them. The methods pnrsuedby
the elevator companies IN disposing, OF
the large volume of wheat in 1856 and
subsequent years fully justified the wit
nesses in question in believing that such
shipments were being made secretly,
and for the purpose of evadng the at
tcntion OF the state inspection service
and the public; and were it not for
other evidence subsequently discovered
the committee feel that they would have
been amply justified i'll finding the
charge SO made in the main true.
There is no question but that I'm 1886
and subsequent years the two elevator
companies named did ship in round
numbers from their houses at night,
without the knowledge of the employees
of the said state departments, 250,000
bushels of wheat. After the fact of
such shipment had been substantially
established by the testimony of this
companies admitted that large
volume Of wheat had been secretly
shipped from their houses with
out either inspection or weighing.
Had this admission been obtained at the
beginning of the investigation, il would
have rendered needless the testimony
of large number of witnesses W no
were called for the purpose of establish
ing that fact. The shipment having
been thus admitted, the duty of the
committee was thereby narrowed down
to an inquiry as to the sufiiciency of the
justification urged therefor on the part
of said company.
Was Warranted.
The evidence sufficiently establishes
the fact that large amount of wheat
became heated in the bins and almost
totally ruined. The committee find that
the matter was brought by the said
companies to the attention of the rail-
road and warehouse commission, and
that after the mature delberation OF
that body the elevator companies
were given the authority to secretly
dispose of the wheat; and it is
fair to believe that the irreg-
oI,f faI Iatytf
were none others than those made in
pursuance OF the permission thus OBJ
tanned. The committee have 10 doubt
that the action OF the commission in
directing the secret shipment OF said
injured grain was prompted by the
highest considerations of pubic policy,
and amply warranted both by provis-
ions of the law and the existing facts.
Evidence was introduced tending to
prove that other wheat than the amount
so injured was also shipped in an Illicit
manner from the warehouses at Duluth.
The committee finds that this amount
of shipment did not occur IN fact, and
that the charge is based upon discrep-
ances in official records, which have
been completely and satisfactorily ex-
planned. 1t appeared from the testi-
mony of certain witnesses that
1887 bushels OF wheat were shipped
out by the warehouses in question
in an irregular and unauthorized man
ner; but a careful examination Of all
the testimony clearly demonstrates that
this charge is based upon an imperfect
knowledge of the facts. The witnesses
by whom it was sought to be estab-
lished derived their information from
sources which were both incomplete and
unreliable. The record leaves no doubs
in the minds of the committee that all
of the last named quantity OF wheat has
been properly accounted for and that no
imputation of improper conduct at
taches to the elevator companies in
question.
Was Well Founded.
It was further charged that upwards
of As, 900 bushels of wheat were shipped
from the same houses as average and
without state inspection or weighing.
The committee find that this charge is
we'll founded; for it is admitted by the
elevator companies that such quantity
of wheat was shipped by them in sucL