Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1892-04-21
A GREAT COMBINE.
Minority Report in the Grain
Investigation Case Sub
mitted.
Mr.. Moore Finds a Great Com
bine Organized to Lower
Prices.

minority report OH the wheat investigation,
1t is very voluminous report, containing
over 90 600 words. A synopsis is given be.
low:
Representative Moore first expresses his re-
grets for being unable to sign the majority
was to report the evidence, something more
than an expression OF the committees opinion
on the serious topics covered by the investga-
ton. II was the committees duty, he believed,
to report specific findings when fully justified BY
the evidence i'll order that they may be the basis
for the recommendations for legislation. He
could not sign the majority report because it
did not make specific findings. or such findings
as he thought ought to be made i'll view of the
testimony.
Mr.. Moore then explains the reasons
the conclusions o. the majority report.
Speaking OF the combine the minority
report states:
THE COMBINE.
cannot agree with the finding in the majority
report that the evidence fails to disclose com.
throughout the regions OF Minnesota and the
Northwest. On the contrary l most consci,
entiously declare that from the evidence taken
before this committee it cannot be successfully
denied that such II combine does exist through.
out the State OF Minnesota and the Northwest,
and that the direct effect OF such combine is to
deprive the producer OF wheat OF IL largo per
cent OF the profits OF his industry,
UNDER THE LAW OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND.
Duluth and Minneapolis should have three
times the power. influence and every other e!e.
ment in fixing the price OF Minneso t;l grain than
Chicago and Milwaukee. What fiction prevents
this natural application OF the law Of supply
and demand to the market ut Duluth and Min
neapollS? III Chicago, with tine wheat aGgregat ed
at milwaukee,. having but Il little over u .UOO,-
600 bushels to its credit can fix the price for
G3,0OO,OOO bushels gathered ut Duluth and
Minneapolis, it most certainly is done by some
power other than law OF supply and demand. 10
complete the logic OF this reasoning it be un-
derstood that the evidence i'll this discloses
the fact that the lake and rail rates from Du-
luth to the seaboard reported i'll the testi
mony taken july, 1891, and March s. 1892.
make the freight from Duluth to the setboard
to the seuboard.
Bear in mind in this connection that the ton
tonnage to and from Chicago. The freight being
practically the same from Duluth to the sea-
board us it is from Chicago to the seaboard, the
tonnage OF the Two ports being equal, what IA
cility. what power. what influence is it which
permits Chicago, with twenly-one millions to
govern the price OF sixty-three million bushels
Minneapolis markets-ther PROSTATE situa-
ton to the influence OF all tnn, tural combineis
douby told and described when it is ascer-
tanned from the testimony and an admitted fact
that the price of wheat at Duluth is permitted
and forced to be the price at Chicago less the
freight rate from Duluth. quote now the tes-
timony OF Mr.. Amsden bearing upon this ques
ton, Which is here introduced.
NOW WHAT POWER
or what influence could possibly make the diff
ference OF Gl2 cents between Chicago and Duluth.
unless some power foreign to the law OF supply
and demand arbitrarily fixes this difference?
Why does not the 63 100000 bushels OF wheat
600 at Chicago and Milwaukee? 1t may be that
my brethren on the committee do not under
stand the word combine to mean what under
stand that word means. If my brethren Oh the
committee understand that combine has
been discovered in the sense of the discovery Of
the two or three or more persons who sit down
lfrD silv nj phanf rf Inf
and Minneapolis, then l must agree with them
that the evidence has not reached so far into the
heart Of this combine as to discover the names
OF these two or three or four individuals But
the word combine as used by me and as believed
from the testimony to exist and control the
price of wheat Ill Minnesota and the Northwest
is rather that the price is unnaturally fixed and
enforced by those interested in the gathering Of
the wheat crop OF Minnesota and the Northwest
npon other than the natural competitive and
honorable principles. There can be no just rea-
son why, with equal facilities and with equal
freight rates, the G3,OOO. 900 bushels at Duluth
should not rather control the 2l.O UO, 900 tribu-
tary to Chicago than be controlled by it. What
mean by combine is that the united action OF
all the dealers in wheat in Minnesota and the
price OF wheat at Chicago necessarily governs
the price at Duluth and Minneapolis That the
eptire wheat business OF Minnesota and the
Northwest is carried OIL under this diction is
logically admitted by every witness who has
been before the committee How is this accom-
plished?
that there is located at Minneapolis board
called the chamber OF commerce, and at Duluth
u similar board called the board OF trade The
testimony shows that these boards COM
posed, SO far as the wheat dealing interests are
concerned, of dealers i'll wheat both elevator
men and commission merchants. with a few
bonanza farmers. 1t is conceded that these
boards meet daily and transact between them
selves the purchase and sale Of wheat. IT. is
also conceded That these sales are largely icti-
| wheat OF Minnesota and the Northwest cannot
escape these dealers who control the board of
trade at Duluth and the chamber OF commerce
at Minneapolis They own all the elevators
along the different lines of railroad throughout
this wheat region. They have all the facilities
siderable amount OF wheat to escape their
| handling They necessarily have the sympathy
if not the cooperation OF all the lines OF trans
portation. 1t seems. from the testimony, that
the dealers adopt, as the price to b. paid Tor
wheat each day, the closing price which they
make OH the proceeding day. And how 10 they
to the value of the wheat as calculated by the
law OF supply and demand, the freight rates and
the facilities for export? If this were honestly
done, the law of supply and demand. natural in
its character. would necessarily govern the
price paid for wheat. 1t matters not. whether
this price is fixed in open board or by secret
vator men and dealers fix. 1t is the result OF
the combined interests OF the dealers, the ele
vator and commission men, 1t makes no diff
! ference by what means it is ascertained, fixed
or agreed upon. The testimony, as referred to
hereinbeiore, fully establishes the fact that
every elevator man i'll the Northwest adopts
the list price promulgated s
BY THEIR COMMON AGENT,
Frank H. Irons at Minneapolis, and whether
the elevators and dealers shall deny that Frank
Irons fixes the price. and shall claim that such
price is fixed by themselves, eitherin open board
or by committee, or in whatsoever way they
shall fix the same. and afterwards commun-
Gated to their general AGENT Frank Irons. Why
do they not fix the price in accordance with the
law OF supply and demand? In order to under
stand this question. it is necessary to refer to
deductions and inferences which follow the testi-
mony. 1t is the testimony OF all persons ex-
amined on that subject that the price at Minne-
apolis is the price at Chicago less freight from
Minneapolis to Chicago. This is the agreement
of the dealers and elevator men. This is the
combine.
That there is no power in the business circles.
which. emanating through the boards OF trade,
the transportation lines or from whatever
source engaged In the wheat traffic III Minnesota
and the Northwest which confronts tie despot-
ism of this forced condition OF the market. is
the highest proof to my mind OF the existence Of
THE MOTT TREMENDOUS COMBINE
that was ever known in the history of the world,
and that this can exist only by virtue OF an un-
natural law is another proof OF conspiracy; for,
in the absence of a conspiracy, Gods natural
Flaws take their own course. No one VINO reads
the testimony can foil to see that this condi
ton is brought about by a conspiracy, surely