St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-03-29

III reply 10 question from MT. VIII
ston, MIR. Norton said he Joined the
bureau July IS, or before he made the
bid. He wanted to withdraw the bid
OH anthracite coal for reasons OF his
own. he explained.
"Whv did you want to be relieyed?"
asked MIR. Winston.
Il believed it was breaking the rules
OF the bureau
"WhO cracked the whip over you, Is
what want TO get at?'
81 wantto say there wasn't anybody
only il was little uphill work to get
COAL" was the reply. -
"Who first refused you coal?" 80 ~
Not any one. They said they hadn't
supply large enough to supply me-
Prior to that time witness had met
with no difficulty in getting all the coal
he wanted, but for month the Lehigh
company claimed they hadn't coal
enough TO spare any coal to the witness.
Mr.. Norton then wentto anotherdealer
Witness conceded that he came to st.
Paul to see Rhodes about the trouble
with the Lehigh company. He told
Rhodes that the Lehigh had contracted
to sell his seasons coal, and Rhodes
said that there might possibly be a
shortage. He told Rhodes that he aid
not know that he was breaking any
rule in bidding 1854 ton. A few days
later witness was notified that he could
have the coal.
Mr.. Norton did not want to tell from
whom he bought coal during the in
term when the Lehigh company would
not sell him. He got less than dollar
off. When he bought from the Lehlgh
in car lots he got Sl.25 off, and he almost
al yxyaN-s hnuOht in n q rfna6 lots He had
been a member of a coal association for
ten years, and he considered that the
retailers are benefited by the assocla-
ton.
''Do you understand that this is an
association" asked Mr.. Boggs, "organ-
lied by the wholesalers, and that they
took the retailers in?"
Mr.. Norton was unable to say. He
was not posted, but he held that the bu-
reau helped the retailers.
When shut off by the Lehigh COM
pany the witness went to the Pioneer
Fuel company and talked with them. -
Ibid they offer to supply you with
coal?" asked Mr.. Walsh.
Il refuse to answer that question. l
refuse to say where l bought coal, for |
got it under promise Of secrecy, and
there is no law that can compel me TO
answer" was the tart answer.
"What do you think of that, Mr..
Winston" asked Mr.. Walsh.
"Well, Mr.. Norton was i'll a pretty
tight place then, and l don't know as
we should insist upon an answer" said
Mr.. Winston.
Then, after consultation with Mr..
Boggs, Mr.. Walsh stated that the com
mIttee would decide later whether they
would compel an answer or not.
Herman Scheffer. cashier of the Union
bank, testified concerning contract for
ten tons of coal for use at the CONNER
cial bank in the spring Of 1872. but could
not recall the price.
This committee has the inforua-
ton" said Mr.. Walsh, that you bought
ten tons and that another dealer called
upon you later to solicit an order. You
told him you had bought supply, and
gave the price. He told you that it
was below the fixed rates, and after
wards the man from whom you bought
Cancelled the ORDER
Il have some recollection of the soc=
currence, but really L should prefer TO
refresh my memory before testifying.
1t was then agreed that he should look
up the records and be recalled.
Refused 10 Join. n
A. A. OpdaI, of Minneapolis, is not a
member Of the bureau, and had refused
to Join. He had been ordered to put up
500, and refused. The matter was
fixed in some way unknown tothe wit
ness. The past season witness had
bought from the Peoples company, but
it was sold in the name of this firm. He
did not want to pay the S25 to Rhodes.
Had it not been for the bureau, he
would have dealt in coal himself. He
had bid on the public library buildings
supply of coal, but did not get the con-
tract.
E. W. White, tile secretary of the
school board, was next called, and he
testified concerning the purchase of coal
for the board. The board has very little
to do with it, and he described the meth
DDS prescribed by the Bell charter. The
bids received for coal have been uniform
of late, but formerly the prices varied.
Mr.. White explained that there are rec
Ords in the office of the secretary OF
adverse criticisms of the actions of the
bidders. 1t was tden explained that the
dealers had juggled the figures before
the board, and all this is matter of
record. He was asked to produce the
records at the next meeting.
The Missing letter.
Ell. Allard, whose partner, Mr.. Wal
lace, had testified that he belonged to
the coal combine for harmony's sake.
was the next witness. During the past
season he had bought from the Ohio and
Northwestern coal companies. He does
not know Mr.. Reeve, but he had be-
longed to the association of which
Reeve was the manager. 1t was MI.
Wallace that subscribed TO the Rhodes
bureau, but Mr.. Allard had never seen
Mr.. Rhodes. The letter that had SO
puzzled witness partner at the last pre-
viOuS meeting was produced and read.
1t relates to the sale of coal by the Pho
neer Fuel company to the employees of
the Transfer company. Witness ac-
knowledged that he wrote the letter.
He had sought to learn if the Pho
neer company had a monopoly of
that sort. Witness got no re-
lief, and the Pioneer continued to
cut. Witness had also cut if
he could get good business thereby
Witness object was to enforce the re-
tail price, or break up the combine, SO
that all could sell as they pleased.
Witness did not enjoin secrecy when he
cut the price. He understood that the
Pioneer mad perSistently endeavored to
get his supply cut off. lie did not
know what power Rhodes was vested
with, and he endeavored to learn it.
"All the coal dealers knew we had
been underselling the fixed prices"
said the witness. II think Mr.. Rhodes
answered my letter." bat his memory
became very defective at this point.
He could not find the letter, but he
knew it contained 10 assurance of re.
lief. "a
I'VE have bid for contracts" said Mr..
AIlard, land we received contract for
Hamline university. We paid no atten-
ton to anybody. We knew what we
could buy at and made our prices ac-
cordingly. We bid on the st. Thomas
academy, but did not get the contract.
We had no distinct understanding with
the Rhodes association. We have very
seldom handled coal at as low price as
81 ton. We buy our coal at the lake
and have it shipped direct to us. When
we get our coal from yard here we pay
$751;
What was the price you paid for coal
at the lake?" asked Mr.. Boggs. y
1--WE paid Sc. TO-"
''On the carp"
Eyes, sir; on the car. We have paid
no attention to lhe Rhodes adVicpS on