Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1892-09-22
Grooming In the Grasp

Grooming In the Grasp
of the combine, went to Pillsbury for
advice as to the probable benefit they
would reap in building an elevator OF
their own and selling the wheat to him.
They were in sore stress for money.
For years they had been ground down
by some mysterious influence of which
they had no knowledge, and it was
their prayer that the ''hour king
should give them advice on project
which they were confident would help
them out of their dilemma. The scheme
had to be squelched in the interest of
the trust. If it were carried out at
Larimore it would lie given trial at
other points, and the result would have
proved disastrous to the. ringsters.
Pillsbury replied that there was no
money in the elevator business, and
that the elevator companies had for
years been losing money. Eight weeks
previous to writing this letter, Pills
bury wrote letter of entirely different
character to the manager of the Amer
lean department OF the Credit Lyon
nais bank, of Paris, France, in which
he assured that gentleman that the
elevators had always paid well and
that the average of one of his compan-
les for five years had been 90 per cent
and the profits of other companies had
been in some cases 40 and in other cases
SO per cent.
The Proof Positive.
The book does not assume that the
trust exists and then seek to show how
it can be wiped out, but it begins with
the proof of the actual existence Of the
combination, and such proof is by
letters written by members Of the al
legged combine themselves. This is it's
force, and it will necessarily have ire
mendous effect on the campaign. 1t
has even been said that it will stir up
the farmers of the Northwest to such
an extent that there may be scenes
enacted in Minnesota and it's neighbour
ing sister states paralleled by the doings
Of the farmers several years ago, when
they burned elevators on the mere sus-
picion that the elevator companies
were robbing them Of a living price for
their grain. The book claims that the
proof presented is the first authentic
evidence of the combines existence.
1t is not entirely clear how this proof
was obtained, but that the letters, fac
SMILES OF which are given, were writ
ten by Charles A. Pillsbury, Senator
Washburn, and half a dozen other
presidents OF railroads, elevator COM
panies, banks, ETC., there is very little
doubt. The letters were mostly writ
ten to the Credit Lyonnais bank, in
response to an inquiry from that bank
as to whether OF not the elevator COM
panies of the Northwest were paying
dividends, if SO how much, and whether
it would be safe to lend them money
for meeting their current requirements.
No little part Of the sensation attend
ing the publication of the document
will be the position of the bank which
wrote for confidential inside Informal
ton, obtained the confidence of the
elevator magnates and millers, and
then betrayed it.
| At Tremendous Profit.
The book afirms that the combine
has been paying for several years such
a low price for wheat that it can sell it
in Minneapolis and Duluth at net
profit of from 104 to Is cents per bushel.
The evidence begins with description
of the Minneapolis Millers' association,
which is alleged to have been the COM
bine up to 1886, when it's charter ex-
pired. This organization, it is shown,
fixed what was known as the list
price" for wheat, and that the twenty
five or thirty elevator companies, each
running from 100, to $50 elevators at
country points, entered into articles of
agreement by which they agreed not to
pay over the list price. This agree
ment is set forth in the book, and par
ticular attention is directed to two
clauses. The first of these provides
that no offer over the regular list is to
be made for wheat in any case, and no
offer is to be made for wheat before it
is delivered up to the elevators. The
second clause provides that in no case
shall the minimum dockage on unclean
wheat be less than one pound per
bushel. The book says that there are
four methods by which the farmer is
robbed of his wheat. These four rob-
berries are alleged to be committed at
the country elevators, and are in addi-
ton to other systematic methods of
robbery practiced at the terminal ele-
| vators, and are boldly said to be by the
orders and under the direction of the
| officers of the elevator companies
Chicago Herald.
A Boon to Threshers.
The COURIER-DEMOCRAT has issued