St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-03-26
WAsHBURN TAKES A RIDE,
And Hatch Takes Flour Oat of
the Anticipation Bill.
Chicago Herald March -


the Anticipation Bill.
Chicago Herald, March %.
Three substantially synchronous
events relating to Congressman Hatch's
absurd anti-0ption bill are ATTRACTING at
tentlon. One day the fore part of the
present week Senator Washburn, of the
Minneapolis flour milling trust, enter
tanned Congressman Hatch on drive
over the asphalt-paved streets of Wash
lngton. 1t was singular method Of
holding caucus with two persons pres
ent, but that Was the evident purpose of
the ride.
The next day Congressman Hatch's
committee on agriculture held a meet
ing and agreed on an amendment to the
antl-option bills excepting flour from
the commodities in which option ideals"
are placed under the ban of taxation. 1t
was noticed as suspicious fact that
neither Senator Washburn's own anti
option bill nor Hatch's bill in the last
congress included flour in the pro-
hibited option trades. So much critl-,
clsm was heard on the subject that
Hatch'S bill was amended so as to in
clude -four. That bill failed to pass.
Hatch'S new bill in this congress in
cluded -four. but after his ride with
Senator WaShburn it was eliminated
from the list OF prescribed commodities
The same day that the Hatch bill was
amended in committee the Washburn
and PlllSbury flonrmilling trust bought
at Minneapolis the enormous amount of
3,250,000 bushels OF wheat, being the ell
tire contents Of all the grain elevators
at that place and at country points be-
longing to tine same system. This is the
largest ''dea" in wheat ever made in
this or any other country. The price is
not stated, but the days market at Min
neapolis lodged within narrow limits
around 80 cents buShel. The wheat
is to be ground into flour by the buyers.
These three events-the head of the
flour trust i'll an outdoor conference
with the author of the antl-Option bill
and chairman OF the committee: Having
1t in charge; the amendment to the bill
providing that it shall not affect option
IDEALS" In flour; the purchase by the
flour trust Of all the wheat in the terri
tory tributary to the Minneapolis mar
ket. where their mills, with capacity
Of $4,000 barrels of flour daily, are To-
cated-these three events constitute
singular incident in the war of the
| COliSi CSSlOilul Sliul pS dllu
fiats'' against the commercial wheat
markets.
The trust conspiracy behind the anti
option bill shows its cl0ven hoof. Its
object is to suppress the speculative
purchase and sale OF wheat in the bust
ness market of the country, leaving the
milling market and the export market
alone open to the wheat farmers. Ii
the milling trust and the exporters shall
obtain this legislation in their behalf.
the farmers will be able to sell their
grain only to the milling trust, at such
price as it may fix, or to supply the linn
tied export demand when the foreign
markets will warrant.
The antisop,ion bill is conspiracy
against the wheat producers, the same
as it is against the commercial market
for wheat. And the conspiratols urging
the passage of the bill iinpudently
claim that it is in the interest of the
farmers-that by suppressing the wheat
markets at the trading centers farmers
will get a higher price, and that the
only real friends of the wheat industry
are the milierS, whose scheme of busI-
ness is to buy wheat at the lowest posi-
ole price and sell flour at the highest
possible price.