New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1892-04-20
THEEND REACHED
The Wheat Investigating Com
nittee Submits a Final
Report,
Which Is Signed by Every Mem
Der Except Representa-
tive Moore,

Alter many months of weary work and
the expenditure of about sic, COO. the grain
Investigation committee has concluded its
WORK and will make two reports to the gov
ernor. The committee was practically
unanimous, its report being signed by all
the members except Representative Moore
who refused to affix his signature on the
ground that he did not like the report.
THE OFFICIAL REPORT:
The first section OF the report deals with the
organization of the committee, and names the
representatives OF the different interests It
then takes up the policy OF the committee with
regard to reception OF evidence and states that
ut the outset The comnittse was pleased to
adopt very liberal rules to the admissability
'of evidence and endeavored to afford every OPP
portumty to any one who felt SO disposed to ap-
pense was spared III securing the presence OF wit
nesses deemed by any Of the interests involved
III the investigate ion important to the ascertain
inent OF the truth. The adoption OF such pol
icy necessarily resulted in elcumberlng the rec
ord with large amount of irrelevant aud inn
material matter which has tended rather
TO conceal than disclose the truth AL
though this result was foreseen at the com
nlencement OF it's labors. it was deemed iniudi-
cious to adopt any otherr course.
swEEPINGs.
A large part OF the time OF the COMMITTEES was
devoted to An investigation OF the char ge that
the elevator companies OF Duluth had been
grossly negligent in cleaning out cars in which
grain had been shipped to their houses, and
That thereby serious loss had resulted to the
shippers.
As a result OF It's Investigation as to this
charge the committee find that during the
earlier Years OF the state inspection service
proper care was not at all times exercised i'll
cleaning out cars in which wheat had been
shipped to the warehouses at Dulut-; there is
no evidence, however. which indicates that this
fact involved either the integrity or so und bust
ness management OF the companies operating
those houses. Furthermore, it sufficiently ap-
pears that as soon the attention Of sucn
companies was called to the subject appropri.
arc measures were adopted to orrect the evil.
The committee have no reason to believe that
OF late years substantial grounds for COM
plant have existed to any considerable extent.
Evidence was introduced tending to show
that at times, especially during the press OF bus
mess at the height OF the shipping season, the
SAD companies at Duluth were also careless III
cleaning the floors OF such warehouses after cars
had been unloaued; ana it Is not unlikely that
in some instances shippers suffered to some ex-
tent. 1t is not the opinion OF the commit tee, ,
however, that any serious loss ever resulted to
tue shipper from this source or that it was
matter OF much gain to the elevator companies.
ILLICIT SHIPPING OF WHEAT.
very serious charge was preferred against
the Lake Superior Elevator company and the
Union Improvement and Elevator Company OF
Duluth based upon all alleged fraudulent ship
ment from those houses i'll 1886 and subsequent
years OF a large amount of wheat aggregating
some 100000 bushels. This was by far the
most serious charge involved In the work of the
committee. From the magnitude OF the charge,
and the fact that it was made the basis OF an
investigation by q committee appointed for that
purpose by the last house Of represe ntatives,
ana sustained by n maj orty report OF that COM
mlttee, the present committee felt called upon
to conduct d most thorough and careful i'll yeSti-
CATION with reference thereto. 1t is no reflection
upon said house committee thatitS results as to
such charge are at variance with those at which
the present committee has arrived. The house
committee was necessarily limited in time and
nc az
ing legislative duties. ..... T.
That the question might be Invested OF doubt.
the present committee employed the services OF
skilled and experienced expert bookkepers and
accountants, and directed them to make ac-
curate examinations OF the books not only OF
the elevator companies OF Duluth, but also OF
the sta inspection and weighing departments,
the railway companies handling grain to and
from that point. and likewise to seek informa-
ton from any other available and legitimate
source.
Testimony was received tending to establish
the charges so made. The committee resret
that several OF the witnesses who testified
touching the charge in question were somewhat
AsPERsED BY COUNSEL
during the investigation on account OF the teS-
timony so given. While it is no doubt true
that some may have been inaccurate as to por-
tions of their testimony, and not few of their
statements were made with greater positiVeness
than either their truth or their knowledge would
warrant, it is the opinion Of the committee,
nevertheless, that they ought to be wholly eX-
onerated from any attempt to testify otherwise
derstood them. The methods pursued by the
elevator companies in disposng of the large
volume OF wheat in 1886 and subsequent years
fully justified the witnesses in question in be-
leviug that such shipments were being made Sc
cretly and for the purpose OF eyading the atteI.
ton OF the state inspection service and the pub
lie: and We're it not for other evidence subSe-
'quently discovered the committee feels that it
you'd have been amply justified in finding the
charge SO made. III the main true.
There is no question but what in 1886, and
subsequent years, the two elevator companies
named did ship i'll round numbers from their
houses a night, without the knowledge OF the
employees OF the said state departments. 1884,
900 bushels OF wheat. After the fact OF such
shipment had been substantially established by
the testimony OF this class of witnesses, the
said elevator companies admitted that large
volume OF wheat had been secretly shipped
from their houses without either inspection or
weighing. Had this admission been obtained at
the beginning Of the Investigation it would have
rendered needless the testimony OF a large NUM-
Der OF witnesses who were called for the purpose
OF establishing that fact. The shipment having
been thus admitted, the duty of the committee
was thereby narrowed gown TO an inquiry asst
the sufficiency OF the Justification urged there
for on the Part OF said company.
THE EVIDENCE SUFFICIENTLY ESTABLISHES.
the fact that large amount of wheat became
heated in the bins and almost totally ruined
The committee find hat the ma tter was brought
by the said companies to the attention OF the
railroad and warehouse commission and that
after the mature elaboration OF that body the
elevator companies were given the authority to
secretly dispose OF the wheat; and it is fair to
believe that the irregular shipments testified to
by witnesses were none others than those made
in pursuance of the permission thus obtained.
The committee has no doubt that the action
OF the commission in directing the secret ship
ment OF said injured grain was prompted by the
highest considerations OF public policy and am
ply warranted both by provisions OF the law aud
the existing facts.
ovERAGE.
Evidence was introduced tending to prove
that other wheat than the amount SO injured
was also shipped in an Illicit. manner from the
said warehouses i'll Duluth. The COMMITTEES
finds that this amount OF shipment did not oc-
cur in TACT, and that the charge is based upon
discrepancies i'll official records, which have been
completely and satisfactorily explained.
1t appeared from the testimony of certain
witnesses that 1897 bushels OF wheat were
shipped out by the warehouses in question i'll
an Irregular aud unauthorized manner, but q
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 established de-
rived their information from sources which We're
both incomplete and Unreliable. The record
leaves no doubt i'll 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 attaches to the
elevator companies in question.
IT WAS FURTHER CHARGED
that upwards of 1000 bushels OF wheat were