St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-09-29

Neche, 399 miles away. The difference
is 129 miles. Neche, S99 miles away,
pays 10 cents per 100 pounds, while a
farmer living at Crary, Oak, On DEVILS
lake. only 1876 miles, pays % cents per
100 pounds. Park River, Y. D., 3S2 miles
away, is 10 cents per 100 pounds. while
Lakota. n. d.. 3S2 miles, the same dis
tance, is q cents to Minneapolis. These
freight rates are those Of one road, not
on competitive lines of road.
The list price being based to some eX-
tent on the freight rates. this diScrim-
ination has the effect of farther decreas-
ing the price paid the farmer for his
grain. The farmer at Crary gets two
cents less buShel for his wheat than
the farmer at Neche does, because of
the difference in freight rates alone, not
to mention the robbery on the price be-
tween the country elevators and mime
apOliS and Duluth. Devils lake is in the
drouth region, and it would seem that
If discrimination were permissible, it
ought TO be in favor of the farmers, who
have had no crops for tN o years, in
stead OF against them.
If the Republican party and the Re-
publican senators and congressman are
the friend of the farmer, can they eX-
plain why the Dakota Republican rail-
road commissioners permit this dlScrim-
inatiOn to go Oh unrebuked?
1t costs more to build one mile of the
West Shore railroad along the Hudson
than ten miles in this prairie country.
All the Republican politicians and
officials who travel on passes (and there
is scarcely QUE who does noD decrease
the earnings of the railroads, and the
farmer helps make up that decrease,
either through the wheat combine, or
directly, by the tax for watered stock
and free passes.
The position of the railroads is suS-
ceptible OF no mistake. There is no
chance to do them an injustice. Their
interests are identical with the interests
OF the wheat combine, for if one farmer
is permitted to ship his wheat himself
it will open the door for all farmers to
do so, and the business of the elevators
suffers in consequence.
A noted railroad man in the North
west once said that 1t was cheaper to
elect farmers to the legislature than to
elect lawyers, or any other class Of citi-
ZenS, because farmer could easily be
bought by paying the mortgage on his
farm. And, if the farmers price is low,
the wheat combine and the railroads are
responsible forit, because it is through
them that he is kept poor.
Direct Evidence.
In The investigation of March, 1892,
by the Minnesota legislature of the
wheat combine. j. NJ. Stowe, of Wadena,
was witness. Mr.. Stowe had an eX-
perlence like Mr.. Wolcolt's and all
Others who attempted to buy wheat at
prices above the combines. lie Swore
that tha railroads cri,y !, in,
cars. and that he understood from m any
sources that 1t was useless to 20 to the
railroad and warehouse commissioners,
because they were controlled by A. j..
Sawyer. Here is Stoves testimony,
which fixes the culpability
SGuareIy on the Railroads:
l noticed that Wadena grain men
were buying rye at 15-cent margin, SO
took the liberty to which suppose an
American citizen is entitled, and raised
the market price Of rye cents a bushel.
L bought a carload, shipped it, and
found my net gain to be over $50. [
also bought a carload of wheat. raising
the price 2 cents per bushel. This
netted me S51.
But Immediately there went up a
howl from the elevator companies to
VI lliC
asking to be protected from ''Street buy
ers" of grain. The managers sent back
orders not to furnish any more cars to
street buyers. / then asked farmers to
order cars, but they were told that their
requests could not be granted if | had
anything to do with loading them. This
is the way the Northern Pacific road
does business. The Great Northern is
little shrewder. They "would fur
nish cars if they had them, but hadn't
them to spare"-with four empty ones
on the sidetrack at that very moment.
Yet this town has just voted $4,000
tax TO get this road TO build in here to
give us competition" l could put
$4,000 into the farmers pockets on what
wheat would be marketed at this point,
and then make more money in sixty
days than l have made in farming here
for eight years, so much less than its
real value is being paid for grain here.
10 cap the climax, Chief Inspector
Clausen goes to Duluth, raises the dock
age and makes the incest wheat | ever
saw inspect No. 2, when there were
buyers scrambling for it at the grade it
was going at. and when there was
margin of from three to five cents on
Duluth prices to ship to Buffalo.
But suppose the Pillsbury English
syndicate at Minneapolis had to be
helped out In some way, rs there is an
export demand for wheat at Duluth that
would probable stop its making Sl0, 900 or
$4,000 a day. 1t looks as if the farmers
wives and daughters would still have to
wear garments made of -four sacks and
ornamented with the four X brand.
Our railroad commissioners were here
recently Oh other business. l spoke of
my grievances to them; they told Inc to
telegraph in case l was again refused
cars. l did SO three days in succession.
and finally got pamphlet with letter.
saying that would show me how to pro-
ceed. 1t says that am to make peti-
tion to their august body. the railroad
will then have twenty days to answer.
with right to adjourn from time to time.
Meanwhile, our farmers are being
robbed, the crops removed, and | get
no cars. think such transactions as
these are what make the unresti in
farming communities, and certainly
justify their independent political ac-
ton.
This testimony, under oath, is direct
and conclusive, and comment is unpec-
essary. 1t is one of many cases of a
similar character which are constantly
occurring.
Hon. E. j. Moore, in his famous
minority report to the governor, re-
ferred to this elevator and railroad com
bine. placing good share of the blame
for the present condition of things upon
the railroad commissioners. He said:
Both Are in 1t.
"And l wish to give It as my opinion
that if the board of railroad and ware
house commissioners had observed the
law in relation to the posting of dam
aged gfain in Duluth, and had held the
Duluth elevator companies to a strict
observance of that law, there probably
would never have been any cause for
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