St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-05-12

OAS AISSNo IN ~ " l. nv IOS .
opened in January when there was an
abundance OF coal within the state to
meet the wants of the people, but
there was no way for the consumers to
ecu it except through the hands of
the partnerships, corporations and per-
sons in possession and control of the
supply, brought to the state while the
season of navigation was open. The
coal was brought to the state under and
subject to the regulations of commerce
as laid down by congress. In the spring
Of 1892 competition in transporting and
distributing the coal to customers began
to decrease and the price of the COM
modify to increase until at the time Of
the opening OF the session of the legiS-
lature the price was unusually, unnat-
urally and unreasonably high and eX-
ceeded the customary, usual and reason
able price and actual value by more
than 81 per ton. With these conditions
the legislature deemed it within it's
province, power and duty to order an
investigation. In pursuance of these
an investigation was ordered by a con-
current resolution of the house and
senate.
On the 9th day of March, A. D. 1898,
the committee duly caused to be issued
a served on the plaintiff a subpoena,
and the plaintiff liz appear and testify
before the committee, but the plaintiff
did not have with him and did no pro-
duce anything called for by the writ ex-
cept a blank receipt. and the plaintiff at
said meetings and i'll the course of his
testimony given thereat. testified to the
effect that there then was no combina-
ton to control or establish prices of coal,
or to limit the supply thereof, and that
ne mad no books, papers or anything
save said blank receipt relating to the
subject matter of said investigation.
Afterward, Oh the 18th day of March.
enacted a resolution, and the said as
sistant sergeant-at-alms of said house
of representatives, the defendant j. w.
Wells, acting under the direction OF
the s%ergeant-at- arms of the house
OF representatives and under
the resolution last mentioned,
did, on the 18th day of March. 1893,
enter and take from a certain office then
open for business in the Endicott block
certain books and papers relating to the
said coal combine. and did report the
same to the next meeting of said COM
mlttee, as he was required to do by said
resolution, and the books and papers SO
taken are the anne that are referred to
i'll said complaint and none other; and
all of the same did relate to said coal
combine and to the subject of said in
vestigatlon; and the books and paDers
SO taken were not the property of said
plaintiff, but were the property of a
certain unlawful association called the
minnesota Bureau of Coal Statistics"
which association was a co~partnership
which had been unlaWfully formed and
WAS then nYJGtInU Inv and hnfuvnnn n
tain corporations formed under the
laws of the state of Minnesota, to
wit: The Northwestern Fuel company.
the Pioneer Fuel company, the Ohio
Coal company, the Philadelphia d Read
Ing Coal and Iron company. the Lehigh
0al nj Iron company and others, Of
which said association and copartner-
ship the plaintiff then was, and ever
since May, a. d. 1892, had been, a serv-
ant, agent and manager; and the Office
from which said things were taken then
was the Office of said unlawful a~ssocia-
ton and copartuership. where SAID cor
poratiOnS and the officers and agents
thereof transacted and caused to be
transacted such portions of their bust
ness as they had no right to transact at
all, and such portions thereof as they
we'll knew then and there to be uniaW-
full and criminal.
The answer then proceeds to recite
that John j. Rhodes was the manage
of the Minnesota Bureau of Coal Stats
tics, which was designed and con-
Quoted by the wholesale dealers in coal.
This combination contederated together
to force retail dealers TO become mem
bers of the association for the purpose
of advancing and keeping up the prices
of the coal. 1t is claimed that the office
of John j. Rhodes was but the office of
the combine and subject to thu examin-
a~tion,of the legislative committee. After
the seizure of the books, all were re-
turned to Mr.. Rhodes, except a letter
impression book. which is not the prop
erty of Mr.. Rhodes, but of the associ-
alton. The answers of Wells and
Scheffer claim that they merely acted
under the direction of the legislative
committee in carrying the books to the
committee room. All Of the answer
deny that any damage was sustained as
charged in the complaint or otherwise.