The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-25
crNrRAL ORSERNATrONs.
THE ELEVATOR COMBINE AGAIN

b-Be.ow zero.
THE ELEVATOR COMBINE AGAIN.
Again there come in the country
papers the complaints of farmers of the
manner in which they are treated by
the elevators, which have under the
System thdt has developed, a practical
monopoly of the primary grain mar
kets When the grain began to go from
the fields to the market we had COM
plants of heavy and unwarranted
docking, followed by charges of sud
den and unjustiiabIe increase in the
''spread" between the local station and
the terminals at Duluth or Minneap-
oils, amounting in one case, it was as
serted, to 1, and in another to cents
bushel. That is, by simply making the
local price that much lower than it
had been to cover the supposed eX-
pense of buying, handling and ship
ping, the elevators added that much to
their profits on each bushel bought. If
redress was sought, 1t could only be
found in the permission to ship direct
TO the terminals in carload lots; privi-
Iege of which few farmers are ever in
condition to avail themselves. The 81
multaneous increase in the spread fur
hished moral, if not legal proof of the
existence of a combination such as was
fought against years ago and to rem
edy which some futile legislation was
provided.
Now from Wheaton and Hermann
come further complaints and facts in
dicating the existence of a general un-
Outstanding, amounting practically to
a grain-buying trust The elevators at
Hermann have been giving a No.
grade to the wheat brought there for
sale. Some of the farmers, satisfied
that their wheat was entitled to
higher grade, took loads Of the same
grade of wheat to Norcross, where the
elevator graded it No. 3 The news
spread, and the farmers transferred
their market to NOrcrOss. The Wheaton
Gazette-Reporter says that the Her
mann buyers made lists of these farm
ers and sent them to headquarters. The
lists were sent out to Norcross buyers
with instructions to give these farmers
no higher grade than No. g. "When
the farmers put in an appearance the
next day they were shown the list and
informed that the orders must be
Obeyed. They were obliged to accept
No. for the same wheat that the day
before had been. taken without ques-
ton as No. 3" The Gazette-Reporter
observes that there are yet many who
uphold our present grading system and
claim that it gives US an open mar
ket"
Sarcasm never applied a more cut
ting term to anything than is this ap-
plication of open market" to the sys-
tenn of grain buying and handling that
has grown to such perfection in this
state and the Northwest, beginning in
individual movement and buttressed
from time to time by state legislation
1t eliminated in the last act, devised
by Gov. Nelson to meet the complaints
that rose in 1892 from all over the grain
raising portions of the state. The cry
was for bread, and they received a
stone. The very provision requiring
state license but served to solidify the
elevators into close communion: The
provision of an appeal, where grade al
lowed was disputed, to the chief in
commission, was offering salt water to
one parched with consuming thirst. If
taken, and an award rendered for the
grain seller, it affected but that sin
gle load and left the contention to be
renewed when the next was offered
These fresh complaints of kindred ma
ture indicate how futile that legislation
was and how grim farce is the open
market" it was proclaimed to provide
There will never be an open market
until the conditions of buying and
shipping are different But it seems
hopeless to expect a solution of this
teal lines laid down a year ago, after
an exhaustive examination of the whole
question by special representatives of
the G l o b e. The combination is strong
er than ever, and at the election in
1892 when this "open market and ele-
Vator combine were made party is
sue, the farmers distinctly declared by
their votes that they did not want a.
change except one on the lines of the
existing methods. They have the
means in their own hands of remedying