St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-02-13
FARMERS ELEVATORS.

"Will the GLOBE explain why it op-
poses the measure permitting farmers
to erect and control their own elevators,
while it favorS the practically exclusive
possession of these rights by the rail-
roads?" asks the Minneapolis Tribune.
Certainly and willingly. 1t opposes
them because
FirSt-They are needless. AS the
GLOBE has shown. a railroad has no
right to discriminate between the artI-
Giles brought it for shipment; it is
bound to provide for all articles those
common and usual appliances for
handling that save time and mon
ey. They now furnish and equip
freight houses, passenger depots
and cattle yards, because these
are necessary adiuncts of their bust
mess. The elevator is an approved
and usual appliance for receiving grain.
Where railroads own them they are eX-
empted from taxation, because the
roads insist that they are necessary APP
pendageS OF their business. If, then.
the roads provide these necessary ap-
planes of their business, open to all
vino may wish to use them, why should
any other person be virtually obliged to
do it? Why should the farmers of the
state, in order to escape the clutches OF
the grain combine, be compeiled-per-
mitted. if the Tribune prefers ito
erect them? The roads object to the
Democratic plan that it will involve
them in an enormous expenditure.
Why should the farmers be compelled
to incur it?
Second-They are insufficient. The
railroads can be made to provide and
operate an elevator at every station
where grain is marketed. Will the
farmers build one at each station? If
they do not, where is the relief for the
farmers at stations where none are
built?
Third-They are inefficient. Will the
farmers elevators give tree. open and
competitive market? Who will own
them and operate them? The few farm
ers who build them. Ii they use them
to ship their own grain, Of what good
are they to the other farmers? IL they
do more, they must become grain buy
ers. Where is the capital coming from?
What degree of success has attended
such efforts of the farmers hitherto?
What is the history of the whole Alli-
ance cooperative business? Again. sup
pose farmers do build them on or near
the right of way of the roads. is it clear
that the state can oblige the roads to
put in and maintain side tracks and
switches and operate them? Is the fur
nishing OF these for private use neceS
sary appliance of their business? Gov.
NELSON refers to the case Of Mum VS..
Illinois as supporting such PROPOSE
ton; but that only goes to the length Of
holding that the state can regulate the
prices charged by private elevators for
storing grain.
Fourth-They are useless. Experience
proves this. They have been tried and
failed almost without exception. The
combine has been against them; the
roads have been against them; the ter
minals nave been against them.
Fifth-Because these measures all
originate in the same place in which
the present laws were born-in the
offices of the miller-eleyator combine.
They are cunningly devised, just as the
| present laws were, to tickle and fool
| the farmers; tickle them with the idea
| that they are getting something, and
fool them with giving them nothing but
| Dead Sea apples that turn to ashes Oh
| the lips.