St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-09-24
advantage over US in the handling of

The testimony of all parties upon this
particular subject of the railroad travel
ing agents supervising the traffic is &c
the effect that each agent of the distinct
road makes il his business to see that
the elevator companies on all other
roads DO not pay more than list price.
IhuS by watching each other, and ac-
lively doing so through the supervision
OF this established police and inspection
seif-malntaIned, they compel the elc-
vators on all roads to adopt this list
price.
Second-The testimony shows mum
Der OF instances where the railroad
companies have directly ip1erfered to
enforce list price. thiDk this is sus-
talned by reference to the following
testimony. The investigation developed
the fact that in the autumn of 1899 some
buyers at Morris, Mimi, advanced the
price beyond list price. During the
disturbance of the market at Morris by
reason of the advance beyond list price,
certain correspondence took place be-
tween representatives of the different
railroad systems in relation to this
trouble which | here quote as evidence
compelling my opinion as above stated
that the railroad corporations endaavor
to enforce list price. Bear in mind that
this correspondence was written during
the existence OF the
Trouble IN Morris.
and has direct reference to that trouble.
Then follows lot of correspondence
between S. L. Moore. of the Northern
Pacific, TO officers of other railroads.
urging them 10 get together and fix
up'' the matter at Morris. These letters
were discovered as being 4 portion of
testimony had in proceeding before
the railroad and warehouse commission
at the instance of certain dealers at Or
tonVIlle. and the original letters were
brought before your committee. They
speak for themselves. 1t is in testi-
mony that as soon as the parties who
were paying price higher than list
price desiSted from such practice, the
trouble" as il was called by the rail-
road managers, ceased. and list price
was thereafter paid at Norris Mark
now that this trouble was not settled by
the commission, in the proceedings
brought before them. When the trouble
had ceased, by the returning to list
price, the suit before The commission
was dropped and was never decided by
the commission. The trouble was set
tied 10y the railroads and was settled by
return 10 list price and proper grades
More Railroad Interference.
call your attention to another in
stance in the testimony showing the
direct railroad Interference c. c.
Brugencate testified that he resided at
Herman, that his business was buying
wheat, and that, while he was in part
nership with Mr.. Switzerland. he re-
celved letter from the Office of the
agent of the Great Northern Railway
company, III his words, as follows:
asking that we come down to list on
wheat. That we were paying over list,
and thereby wheat which was tributary
to the line of the Milwaukee road.
they could not compete with US, and
further that the elevators complained
that they could not make anything on
1t, and they would have to close the
house, That this letter was written
by p. P. Shelby, general traffic mana
ger OF the Great Northern road. Mr.
Brugencate further testified that
he and Mr.. Sutherland were buy
Ing wheat for farmers house
at that time as an indie
pendent elevator. and that it was their
Intention to keep the market I'D as high
as they could: that he received the let
ter from Mr.. Shelby about the lst of
November, and continued buying until
about the 10th of that month; that they
did not observe the requests or demands
of Mr.. Shelby as contained in that let
ter. The following question was asked
MN: ". Did You ever have any other
lnflmatlon eminating from the railroad
company that you should observe list
price III the purchase of wheat? A.
4eS, sir, sometime after Mr.. Wells be-
gan, Mr.. Dennis received a letter from
the same source, telling him 10 request
US TO come down TO list price. Q. State
what was the purport of that letter? A.
Mr.. Dennis told Us that if We did not
come down TO list price, that they would
Mr.. Shelby? A. [ think it was. / am
not positive about that. did not read
the letter. 1t was from Dennis and he
told US what was contained in the let
ter"
Ii did not appear from the testimony
that the railroad company had In fact
embarrassed or inconvenieneed MIR.
Brugencate or Mr.. Sutherland on ac-
count OF their failure to conform to list
price. 1t seems that Mr.. Brugencate
went out of the business shortly after
the receipt Of this letter. and whatever
the railroad companies might have done
had he continued the business. the at
tempt made 10y Mr.. Shelby in the letter
quoted and in the letter afIerward to
Mr.. Dennis, Is convincing to my mind
of the existence of policy on the part
of that road to enforce list price.
Could Get No Cars.
Another instance which / cite was
contained in the testimony of G. w.
Brandborg, who testified that he ran a
farmers elevator at Henning, Mimi, ON
the Northern Pacific road; that while
he was engaged in the purchase of
wheat he found it very difficult TO OBJ
tain cars from the railroad company in
which TO ship his wheat, which is set
out out in full in his testimony. and
after eXhausting his own personal eff
forts he had recourse TO Representative
Hompe, asking him to see the railroad
commissioners with view of compel
ling recognition of his rights. and
that after Mr.. Hompe had interviewed
the governor of the state on the in
justice, he had much less trouble in OBJ
tanning cars. Mr.. Brandborg further
testified that he had long talk with a-
man by the name of Wood ward. of Min
neapolis, who represented himself to be
an agent of the Northern Pacific Rail-
road company. who stated to him:
That he would like to have the prices
uniform on the road; that by reason of
this war we were causing a disturbance
OF prices on other lines, and the other
roads would retaliate at some other
point, and he further said if YOU want
TO do any running fight on dockage and
grades. but DON'T raise prices. / told
him that did not get fair treatment
i