St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-01-29
AN UNMIr1GATED OUTRAGE.

The article which we publish from a
special correspondent, detailing the re-
suit Of his Investigations at Stephen
into the outrages upon the farmers by
the elevator companies, contains facts
enough to convince any fair-minded
man that an open market does not ex-
list in this state, and that to secure
one is first necessity if the producer
of grain is not to be cheated annually
out of practically the whole margin of
profit upon his years labor. These are
no general charges in which the
G b e INDUCES, no wild denunciations
aimed at the world at large, but
specific statements of facts which are
disgrace to this age and this coun-
try. They show a systematic oppres-
sion OF the farmer, regular and pre-
meditated appropriation Of his prop
erty which goes on year after year, and
from which 1t Is, as rule, impossible
for him to escape. Our correspondent
estimates the loss to the farmers in
the vicinity Of Stephen alone, as far
as his inquiries have extended, at $780,
900. This does not mean sacrifice to
unfavorable conditions; it is a straight
transfer of money belonging to the
farmer to the pockets Of the elevator
companies. It is made up by the diff
ference Of four, five, eight and ten
cents per bushel on wheat realized by
nj ND
freight charges and cost of handling.
It is the amount which the elevator
companies take from the farmers by
grading their wheat down, exacting an
excessive dockage, and spreading the
prices between: the local elevator and
the terminal market, at their pleasure
The process by which this is done
Is made perfectly clear. In ordinary
times, when there is no rush and the
farmer is not compelled to market his
grain unless he wishes, the difference
between selling to the local elevator
and shipping direct to the central mar
ket is small. Then comes the rush
of the harvest season. Scores or hun
dreds Of farmers arc offering their
grain at the same time, under the COM
pulsion of maturing obligations which
they have to meet. They have no bins
in which to store their grain. They
bring it to town, with their creditors
logging their very footsteps, in order
to appropriate the first receipt. To
haul it back to the farm is impossible.
There is no place to put it. Their
creditors will not wait. What they
must have is cash in exchange for their
product. The elevator man knows this.
Now he changes his terms. Instead of
Offering a fair price, he turns the cold
shoulder to the farmer. He tells him
that he cannot store his grain except at
a very low grade, because all the bins
for the better grades are full He
offers him a price which is far below
the actual market value. He insists on
dockage that is unreasonable. Add
ing together the shrinkage by grading
down, by the spread Of prices and by
excessive dockage, the farmers choice
is between taking about ten cents less
bushel than his grain is worth and
finding another market for it. The
town is full Of wheat offered for sale.
and there Is no remedy for his case.
He takes what he can get pockets his
injuries with sore heart, pays over
his receipts to his creditor and starts
in with another years labor, knowing
that for the last year he has simply
been Shaving for the benefit of con-
scienceless taskmasters.
The individual instances which our
correspondent cites clinch the argu-
ment. They leave no room for escape.
Again and again the farmer who. is
able to do so has made one sale to the
local elevator company and afterwards
shipped direct to the central market.
By doing SO he has made $40, $s5 or $40
per car. He has obtained better
weights, better grades, better prices
and a fair allowance for dockage. One
illustration contained in this letter is
particularly forcible and convincing.
The same man and the same wheat
were the subject of experiment. In
the first case, he obtained a grade of
No. 1 hard, and a price Of A cents
per bushel, with one-half pound dock
age. This was at the begin
ming Of the season. A little
later, when the 7ush began, he was of
fered grade q No. northern. q