The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-04-14
THE END. /, E,A CH.ED.
me Wheat Investigating Com
mittee Submits a Final
Report,
Which Is Signed by Every Mem
Der Except Representa-
tive Moore,


work and will make two reports to the gov
ernor. The committee was practically
unanimous, its report being signed by all
the members except Representative Moore,
VINO refused to atfix his signature on the
ground that he did not like the report.
THE OFFICIAL REPORT:
Ihe first section OF the report deals with, the
organization OF the committee, and names the
representatives OF the different interests 1t
tEen takes up the policy OF the committee with
regard to reception OF evidence and states that
at the outset the committee was pleased to
aaoPt very liberal rules as to the admissability
Oh evidence and endeavored to afford every op-
poftunlty to any one who felt so disposed to ap-
pear and testify before it. Neither time nor ex-
Pense was spared in securing the presence of wit
nesses deemed by any of the interests involved
III tne investigation important to the ascertain
menu OF the truth. The adoption OF such a pol
icy necessarily resulted in encumberng the rec
Org with large amount of irrelevant and i'm
material matter which has tended rather
to conceal than disclose the truth. Al
nm1sm TINS result SUI was foreseen at the com
clous to adopt any otherr course.
swEEPINGs.
, "A large part OF the time of the committee was
UeVoted to an investigation OF the charge that
Cne elevator companies Of Duluth had been
grossly negligent i'll cleaning out cars III which
gram had been shipped to their houses, and
serious loss 1ta6t To
shippers. Wv
AS a result of it's investigation as to this
charge the committee find that during the
earlier years OF the state inspection service
proper care was not at all times exercised in
cieamng out cars i'll which wheat had been
shlpped to the warehouses at Duluth; there is
no eyldence' however, which indicates that this
TACT involved either the integrity or so und bust
ness management OF the companies operating
those houses. Furthermore, it sutfi GENTLY ap-
pears tnat as soon as the attention OF sucn
called tO ha Srhi
arc measures were adopted to orrect the evil
me committee have no reason to believe that
OF ia.e years any substantial grounds for
Plaint nave existed to any considerable extent.
:, evidence was introduced tending to show
that at times, especially during the press of bus
t na;S at the height OF the shipping season, the
SAID companies at Duluth were also careless in
cleaning the floors of such warehouses after cars
nad been unloaded and it is not unlikely that
ms IN some instances shippers suffered to ex-
tent. 1t is not the opinion of the committee,
however, that any serious loss ever resulted to
tile shipper from this source or that it was a
AlaIIer OF much gain to the elevator companies
ILLICIT SHIPPING OF WHEAT
A very serious charge was preferred against
the Lake Superior Elevator company and the
Union Improvement and Elevator Company of
Duluth based upon all alleged fraudulent shin
ment from those houses in 1856 and SUBSEQUENT
years OF q large amount of wheat aggregating
some BOO, 900 bushels. This was by far the
most serious charge involved in the work of the
commlttee. From the magnitude of the charge,
and the fact that it was made the basis of an
investigation by a committee appointed for that
purpose ny the last house of represe ntatives,
and sustained by Il ma ority report of that COM
mlttee. the present committee felt called upon
10 conduct most thorough and careful investi-
gatlon WIN reference thereto 1t is no reflection
upon said house committee that its results as to
such charge are at variance with those at which
me present committee has arrived. The house
committee was necessarily limited in time and
more or less handicapped by various and exact
Ing legislative duties.
That the question might be Invested of doubt.
skilled and experienced expert bookkepers and
accountants. and directed them to make &C
curate examinations OF the books. not only of
the elevator companies OF Duluth, but also of
the state inspection and weighing departments,
the railway companies handling grain to and
from that point. and likewise to seek informa-
source.
Testimony was received tending to establish
me charges so made The committee regret
touching the charge i'll question were somewhat
AsPERsED BY COUNSEL
during the investigation on account Of the tes-
timony so given. While it is no doubt true
that some may have been inaccurate as to por-
lions OF their TESTING ny, and not few of their
statements were made with greater positiveness
than either their truth or their knowledge would
warrant, 1T is the opinion of the committee
nevertheless, that they ought to be wholly ex-
onerated from any attempt to testify otherwise
than III accordance with the facts as they un-
derstood them. The methods pursued by the
elevator companies i'll disposing of the large
volume of wheat III 1886 and subsequent years
fully justified the witnesses in question in be-
llevlng that such shipments were being made Sc
cretly and for the purpose OF evading the atteI-
ton OF the state inspection service and the pub
lie; and were it not for other evidence subse-
quently discovered the committee feels that it
would have been amply justified in finding the
charge SO made. in the main, true.
There is no question but what in 1886, and
subsequent years. the two elevator companies
named did ship III round numbers from their
houses at night, without the knowledge of the
employees OF the said state departments, $780,
900 bushels of wheat. After the fact OF such
shipment had been substantially established by
the testimony OF this class OF witnesses, the
said elevator companies admitted that large
volume OF wheat had been secretly shipped
from their houses without either inspection or
weighing. Had this admission been obtained at
the beginning Of the investigation it would have
rendered needless the testimony OF a large num-
Der OF witnesses who were called for the purpose
OF establishing that fact. The shipment having
been thus admitted. the duty OF the COMMITTEES
was thereby narrowed down to an inquiry as to
the sufficiency of the justification urged there
for on the part Of said company.
THE EVIDENCE SUFFICIENTLY ESTABLISHES
the TACT that a large amount OF wheat became
ne; III the bins and 1most totally ruined.
by the said companies to the attention OF the
railroad and warehouse commission and that
after the mature elaboration of that body the
elevator companies were given the authority to
secretly dispose OF the wheat; and it is fair to
believe that the irregular shipments testified to
by witnesses were none Others than those made
IN pursuance OF the permission thus obtained.
The committee has no doubt that the action
OF tho commission in directing tho secret ship
ment OF said injured grain was prompted by the
highest considerations OF public policy and am
ply warranted both by provisions OF the law and
the existing facts.
ovERAGE.
Evidence was introduced tending to prove
that other wheat than the amount so injured
WAS also shipped in al Illicit manner from the
SAID warehouses i'll Duluth. The committee
finds that this amount of shipment did not oc-
cur In TACT, and that the charge is based upon
discrepancies III official records, which have been
completely and satisfactorily explained.
1t appeared from the testimony of certain
witnesses that 49,337 bushels OF wheat were
shipped out by the warehouses in question in
an irregular and unauthorized manner, but
careful examination OF all the testimony clearly
demonstrates that this charge is based upon an
imperfect knowledge OF the facts. The witnesses
by whom it was sought TO be established de-
rived their information from sources which were
both incomplete and unreliable. The record
leaves no doubt III the minds OF the committee
that all OF the last named quantity OF wheat
has been properly accounted for. and that no
lmputation OF improper conduct attaches to the
elevator companies In question. r.
1T WAS FURTHER CHARGED 81
that upwards of $4,000 bushels OF wheat were
shipped from tho same houses average and
without state inspection or weighing The com.
mittee finds that this charge is we'll founded, for
it is admitted by the elevator companies that
such quantity Of wheSt was shipped by them in
such manner. As q qualification for such ship
ment the companies urge that when they first
began to do business under the provisions of the