The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-05-15
THE WHEAT DISCUSSION.
Seth Bottomly Writes Tart and
Terss Letter to Mr.. Burdisk.
GOES FOR HIM WITH A RED
HOT POKER.
Let the Debate Go on and All the
Facts Come Out.
To the Editor:

To the Editor:
1t is now IL days since Assistant Rail-
road Commissioner Burdick claims he
sent me the Liverpool Corn Trade News.
in registered letter, and l have not yet
received it! Not that its quotation OF
"No hard Duluth wheat" would dis
prove my statement that "the English
newspapers do not quote it under that
name" for the "Corn Trade News is no
more a newspaper, as the term news
paper" is generally understood, than are
such circulars as the Minneapolis Daily
Market Record. But even allowing that
he is right on that point, it does not re-
lieve Mr.. Burdck of the grave charge
that he, a public official, paid by the
state, for the express purpose of seeing
that the producers get just weights and
grades for their grain, deliberately pub
fishes misleading and garbled state
ments, in the interest of the very men
whom he is paid to protect the farmers
against.
He has not shown yet how 1t can cost
sc cents per bushel to ship wheat to Liv-
erpool and sell it there at IS cents. He
has not shown why the cost of hand
ling wheat in Liverpool should be 21a
cents per bushel, while, according to
his own figures, in the letter, it only
cost / cent in New York, and 85-100 Of
cent in Duluth.
He has not described the "compli-
-cake1f and cumbersome method of hand
ling wheat In Liverpool" nor named
1.-THE so many hands it passes through
to make up this cost of 211 cents" The
etc., etc., etcs are still unnamed. The
fact still remains that vast amount
of the wheat shipped from New York
to Liverpool is used as ballast by ships
carrying passengers and miscellaneous
freight, and that all port charges, as
harbor and dock dues, are paid by the
ship-owners, and has just the same re-
lation to the freight rate as the price
of oats has to the rate of fare charged
by hackman. Mr.. Burdicks gran
aries" as your readers understand the
to them, are, like the rest of his state
ments-"in the air." The canals, boats
and coasting vessels are still there ready
to carry wheat from Liverpool to all the
great manufacturing centers; Russian
from Hull to Manchester, or American
wheat from Liverpool or Manchester to
Hull; not saying anything about the
vast amount of wheat made into -four
in Liverpool and all other shipping
ports. One firm, alone, in Glasgow
Scotland, grinds up 900 bushels OF
wheat per annum.
~ Now, If Mr.. Burdick has few mill
ions Of bushels of wheat which he wishes
to reship from Liverpool to Manchester
Stockport, Chester, Milford-haven, Bris.
tol. Cardiff, Cork, Dublin, Limerick, Bel
fast, GLASGOW, Fleetwood, Lytham, Pres
ton, ETC.. etc., etcs.," by coasting vessels
or by canal, to almost any large center
OF population in the counties of Lanca-
shire, Cheshire. Derbyshire and York.
shire. II he will add az cents per bus
70 the ~ cents he charges for dockage
primage, commissions, weighing, trans
ferring to granary, etc., etc." l think
he will find lots of ship owners glad t
undertake the job.
1t Is rather cruel, but justice demand:
It. Here is another question, Mr.. Bur
dick: If English methods of handlin,
grain are 80 complicated and cumber
some, and 1t passes through so many
hands," how happens it that flour cal
be bought cheaper at tn local points il
Minnesota, and about as cheap as tn,
farmer himself can get it ground from
his own wheat?
l enclose you clipping from English
newspaper, which quotes family flour a
IN Cl.s
rate of ST. So per 100 lbs. At that date
Feb. Is, the Mankato Review quote
straight" at $3.50, and ''superfine" o
81. 90 per cwt.
Lay not the f'attering JUNCTION t
your SOUL" Mr.. Dick Burd--to perver
your name as you have perverted tn
truth,-that would waste all this pape
and ink in painting you up in you
true colors. My only reason for writin
these letters Is to show the farmers O
this state that 1t is not alone the news
papers that are bought up to delude an
mislead them, but that our state off
Gals are mere plant tools in the hand
Of all the thieving gangs of unprin
cipled rascals who are and have bee
for years, sucking the life's blood on
Of our people.
Mr. Burd you are 'burd" of i'll omer
1t Is dark prospect for the futur
generations of this great state, whe
such men as you can hold the,-whs
ought to be,-honorable and respons
BILE position you hold. You are also q
ill bprd," as you foul your own nest.
You are farmer, and if my memor
serves me right, you at one time b.
longed to the Farmers, Alliance. II 70
are the man l have in mind. Son,
time in the eighties, at an Alliance COZ
vention, / heard you bewailing you
fate, at the loss of your freedom as a
American citizen, and charging thes
Ez rn,,no xailxoaA harana and sr,.a An thar