The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1893-03-03
THE ALLEGED COMBINE.
r. ID. Hubbard Denies That There
Is Any Truth in the
Story Published by The
Minneapolis Journal.


al three column article purporting to
have been written and sent from this
city, giving what it claims is an out
line of the organization Of the So
called Spring Wheat Miller's Combine
which the writer claims to be lone of
the most widespread and stupendous
combines yet formed in the United
States" The substance Of his long
article is that Mankato was the start
ing point and the Southern Miller's
Association, the nucleus around
which has developed gradually and
cautiously an organization embracing
at the present time nearly all the
spring wheat millerS OF the
country" 1t claims that the
reasons put forth for this
organization are, that the milling
business has been conducted fora num-
Der of years on a constantly decrea-
sing margin of profit which does not
need any further demonstration than
a reference to the declining prices of
flour. The only thing that has kept
the business alive has been the reduc-
tion in the cost of production through
the employment of improved methods
and improved machinery. But the
millers contend that the reduction in
the cost of production has not kept
pace with the reduction in price, and
that the formation of some kind of
a plan or organization for mutual ben
eft and self-preservation had become
indispensable, lat least to the smaller
manufacturers of flour.
This organization, the writer claims,
is nothing more nor less than a trust,
and the reason he gives for assuming
it to be trust is the vast extent of
che territory covered, and the far
reaching results which will come from
the combination. While yet in it's
infancy it is said to cover the statos
of Minnesota, North Dakota, Iowa,
Wisconsin Including Milwaukee,,
Northern Illinois Gncluding Chicago
and those great spring wheat mills of
New York state at Buffalo, Rochester
and Niagara Falls. Included within
this territory is the greatest Ameri-
can flour Minneapolis and
those future important flour centers
at the head Of Lake Superior-Duluth
and Superior.
1t is claimed that the effect Of the
organization will be greater upon the
small mills than upon the large ones,
as the latter are better able to stand
alone, but that they welcome the
combine as it will tend to place the
trade upon footing of common safe
ty.
The history Of the organization,
nevertheless, is very interesting read
ing. Its inception, says this wise man
from the Journal, twas in the schem-
ing brain of one man, r. d. Hubbard.
prominent Mankato miller. When
it is known that this same Mr.. Hub.
board is a member of the Linseed Oil
trust, it is easy to infer as to how
his scheme of similar organization
among the spring wheat dealers OF
the country originated. From the
very outset the Mankato miller's
methods have been of the mysterious
order. Nothing has been done open
ly, and even now the details of thu
organization are carefully guarded
from the public and it is denied will
all the emphasis possible that the as
ISOLATION of millers contains any 0
the elements of trust"
The conception of the combine, i
claims, dates from the organization
of the Southern Milier'S Association
three or four years ago, and of whicl
Mr.. Hubbard was the originator
This worked so well that it wa
thought best to extend the scope o
it's workings, and so it reached, gu
and embraced southwestern Wiscon
sin and northern Iowa. Then follows
The big mills of Minneapolis, and S
the territory grew until it now cover
the territory mentioned above.
The details given of the organize
tion covers number of meetings {
representatives of the mills intel
ested, which were held in Chicago an
Milwaukee during the month of d.
cember, behind locked doors, and S
quiet was the matter kept, tina
though the newspapers were avail
that such conferences were held, the
never became cognlzant of their tru
purpose. At third meeting held
Chicago during the latter part of D.
cember, the eastern representative
met those of the west and the schem
was perfected. Il. A. Sammis, of tt
Minneapolis Flour Manufacturing G
was was elected president, III. S. Ke
nedy, formerly Of New Ulm, seer,
p tary, and G. M. Palmer, of Mankat
MILLER Hubbard's right bower trea
urer. A board of directors was chose
to include representatives of the val
Gus milling districts. The memb
u i G-1~~