The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-04-21

was the fact that the testimony Of Mr.. Amsden
contains the statement that the elevator COM
panles employ travelling agents to look after
each others business TRANSACTIONS Another in.
| dena. 60 \ = rs
IT Is UPON THIS TESTIMONY,
only a portion of which have specially referred
70. that lind myself forced to find from the tes-
tlmony that a combine does exist to control the
price OF wheat in the State OF Minnesota and the
Northwest. 1t is true that the investigation into
sne history and autonomy, the detail, circum-
tenance has not been pursued to that extent
wh1ch the impending danger and tyranny against
sne interests a OF the producer imperatively de-
Inc report enters into thorough discus
s!on of the matter of weighing wheat al
Du!uth, and its dockage and inspection,
taking up the subject of the shipment OF
uninspected and bin-burnt wheat
The report proceeds to aggregate the tes-
timony in regard to these non-inspected
shipments and finds total of 1926, $40 bush
els shipped out of Duluth elevators be-
tween 1885 and 8S9 uninspected.
Alter making allowance tor tin-burnt
wheat there remained $50, 900 bushels.
, THE QUESTION NOW NATURALLY ARISES
how was this ESQ, 900 bushels OF wheat accu.
mauaated? BY what means did 75o 900 bushels
sofa and the Northwest come into the posses
sion of the elevators of Duluth? That question
tanhot now be answered specifically under the
testimony. Whether it came from short weights
or whether it came from unswept cars or
whether Whether 1t came from improper dockage or
"nether 1t came from not cleaning out docka age.
or whether 1T came from distractions made
rom grain being shipped Eastward, or whether
IL came from all of these causes or from causes
e ey unknown and unsuggested the testi-
mony does not now plainly and specifically dis
Close 1t remains, therefore, as yet an unsolved
proposition as to whether the inspection de-
Partment and the weighing department. of the
SUaCe OF Minnesota have nv oh obt
ana large dockage permitted this vast accretion,
or on the other hand whether this accretion
ana accumulation has not been made in VIOLA
t1on OF the inspection and weighing service by
1he predatory spirit Of these elevator COM
panies.
mony, and taking the public elevator sys-
tenn in the condition that it now is,
am moved to recommend to your ex-
cellency and the legislature of the state that
some means should be provided for weighing the
grain by the railroad companies at the station
Where 1t is received. and the common carrier
sno4ld be held responsible for delivery in equal
In view Of all the testimony, further recon-
mend what seems to me to be one of the most
important measures for the proper protection
OF the wheat producers of this state and that is
Cnat all persons in the State of Minnesota desir-
Ing TO market wheat shall have equal facilities
TO REACH THE TRACK
ol ralroaos at Minnesota stations and that a
law pc passed by which It is made the duty alb
solute OF every railroad or railway corporation,
association or company now or at any future
time operating a railroad or railway as a COM
mon carrier within this state to provide and
furnish at all stations esta blished or that may
pc established on their roads sidetrack facilities
LOT all persons or parties to erect and maintain
private elevators warehouses of a CAPACITY of
not less than 5000 bushels each for the storage
OF gram while awaiting shi pment on such line OF
rallroad or railway, and to permit and allow
such elevators and warehouses to be erected,
maintained, controlled and operated by any
person or corporation desiring to erect main
control Onpr9fa tho rnaf cold
sons and further making it the duty absolute of
SAD railroad companies andcorporations to re-
celve 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 d.
its line or lines of railroad
or railway all grain offered in car load lots at
such stations without any previous storage and
offered.
. I desire also to coincide with therecommenda-
ton made to your exceflency by the majority
report III as far as such recommendations are
made or modified by the accommodation which
I 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,
ried to public elevator shall be actually re-
ce1ved 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 unloaded they SHOULD
De resealed by the inspector making such inspec-
also recommend to your exeeency and the
legislature that whatever system OF grading and
lished by law such system of grading and inspec-
ton shall never be permitted to affect the sale
OF wheat on it's merits in the country. and in no
case to permit 1t to be graded ut the country
station by a state official.
Before concluding this report feel it my duty
to call your excellency's attention to tho fact
r q 10 iNvn firofS rra
have been confined. SO far as theIillic1t shipment
OF non-inspected grain is concerned. to only the
elevator system at Duluth It 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 in the hands of combine. as I have
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. corporation owned and
controlled by tho Great Northern. as admitted
by Mr.. Grover. The rate on wheat from Mime
Cloud to Duluth, forty miles less the rate is "
cents per bushel. This being a single instance Of
growers of Minnesota and the Northwest and in
favor OF the milling combine OF Minneapolis.
And wish to give it as my opinion that if the
board Of railroad and warehouse commissioners
had observed tho law in relation to the posting
OF damaged grain at Duluth and had held the
Duluth elevator companies to strict observ-
of that law there probably would never
have been any cause for the expenditure of So
600. which has been made by this committee.
II seems to me that the
DOOR TO THESE ILLICIT SHIPMENTS
was opened by the permission to disregard the
provisions OF the law in regard to the posting of
grain, 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 clandestine and secret
shipment OF nonnspected. wheat
The testimony OF Mr.. Pillsbury before the
joint committee is interesting in that it at
tempts to lay the entire blame of the depressed
condition of the Minnesota wheat market at
the door of the wheat pit gamblers on the board
of trade in the city Of Chicago. I am not dis
posed to agree with Mr.. Pillsbury in this
opinion and this opinion form in view of the
testimony taken before this committee. Ibelieve
that the present depressed condition of tho
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. q, {
What mean by the erection of elevators at
Duluth is simply the erection of elevators BY
the state, carried on in such manner that the
interests of the individual Dro6Oper of I'M