The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-05-25
TO DIG INTO FLOUR REBATES
INTERSTATE COMMERCE COM
MISSION SITS TOMORROW

bury and Other Prominent Ship
pers Have Been Served With No
tices to Appear Before the Board
of InquisitiOn-SOme Pointed
Testimony Is Expected to Appear.
The sitting Of the interstate COM
merce commission, which adjourned
| here March 20, after a two days ses-
sion, will be continued tomorrow morn
ing at 10 o'clock.
w. A. Day, of Washington, D. c.,
! counsel for the interstate commerce
commission, arrived here yesterday
morning from Chicago. He is regis
| tered at the Ryan hotel.
| AS was the case at the former Sit
ting, there will be three members of
| the commission in attendance, but this
number constitutes quorum. The COM
missioners will arrive here from Chi
cago this morning, and have engaged
rooms at the Ryan. They are Judge
Judson c. Clements, of Georgia; j. D.
Yeomans, of Iowa, and w. ]. Calhoun,
! of Illinois.
Chairman M. I. Knapp, of New York,
and Charles E. Prouty, of Vermont,
will not be present. Other duties pre-
vented their attending the former ses-
SION, and, as they are not conversant
with the situation, they will take care
of the affairs of the commission at
| Washington.
The commission is here for the pur-
pose of getting at the true facts con-
corning the methods used by the local
roads in handling flour from Minneap-
oils and common points to New York
Since January, 1897, the flour rates
have been in a bad condition, fluctuat-
ing as much as $50 a car in month.
NJ Of fhn
mined to find out why such a state of
affairs should exist in the Northwest,
and instructed United States Marshal
| OConner to serve subpOenaS on the
! different local railroads. The act Of
congress relative to the interstate COM
merce commission charges that body
with the duty of being informed as to
how the roads handle their shipments.
| Marshal O'Connor served summons
on the following roads: Great North
ern, Eastern Railway of Minnesota
Chicago, Milwaukee s. st. Paul, Chi
cago, Burlington & Northern, Chicago
Great Western, Minneapolis & ST.
Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha, 500 line
| Wisconsin Central, Flint & Pere Mar
quette, Duluth, South Shore & Allan
tic, etc.
The following milling firms were sub
poenaed: Washburn, Crosby & Co.
Pillsbury mills, Consolidated mills I'M
perial and Mankato mills, the two lat
! ter being at Duluth
The papers, in the cases of the roads,
requested that the general freight
agents and auditors be present.
The examination brought to light
some interesting evidence. The ship
ping clerks Of the different Touring
concerns occupied the stand almost all
OF the three days, while some leading
| traffic officials were examined the rest
| of the time.
The representative of the Duluth,
| South Shore & Atlantic road when
hard pressed by Counsel Day, admitted
| having paid rebates on shipments of
! -four out of Duluth in conn ection with
the Michigan Central and the Grand
| Rapids & Indiana. Testimony given
by the general freight agents and audi
| tors of these roads brought out the
fact that the rebates were paid by the
auditor Of the South Shore & Atlantic
He did the collecting from the road and
| handed the money over to the millers,
being sort of a clearing house.
| The commissioners claim that the
evidence given by the shipping clerk
| for the Washburn-Crosby company
| showed that the company had been re-
ceiving large rebates right along.
The list of witnesses include J. s..
Bell, president; I. L. Course, E. M.
Fairchild, James Hannis. A. G. Loring.
! George E. Ewing, Eugene Sheenan w.
L. Martin, A. V. Martin, W. w. Brough-
ton, general freight agent st. Paul &
Duluth; E. D. Parker, assistant gen.
eral freight agent 500 line; S. O.
| Brooks, assistant general freight agent
Chicago Great Western; S. G. Stick
ney, general manager Great Western;
P. G. stohr. general freight agent Of
! the same line; w. D. Washburn, B. c..
! Church, and G. H. Christianson, presi-
| dent of the Consolidated Milling COM
pany.
! Wednesday, March 80, the commits
sioners adjourned the session until
Thursday, May 26, in order to fill an ap-
pointment at Chicago. All witnesses
| ing subpoenaed to appear at the last
session are expected to be on hand to-
morrow morning. The circuit Of ap-
peals is now in session in the federal
court room, and, in case it does not
conclude it's work by tomorrow morning
the commission will sit in some other
| public chamber.
The session will commence with the
calling of the names of the subpoenaed
witnesses, after which the rigid exam
ination will be again conducted by Mr..
| Day.
The three commissioners who arrive
here today are all men Of prominence
and have occupied public positions for
some time. Judge Clements, temper
airy chairman Of the commission, was
| appointed on the commission by Presi-
| dent Harrison. He served In the War
Of the Rebellion on the Confederate
! side, and afterwards studied law. He
represented Georgia in congress for
over eight years. and is an able, con-
| Scientious man. His close application
| to the recent hearing here made him as
| important a factor in the investigation
/ as Counsel Day himself. The judge
| frequently took the witnesses in hand
| and brought out some evidence Of great
value to the commission
Commissioner Yeomans was appoint
ed by President Cleveland, and was
| formerly a state senator in Iowa. He
owns large stock farm in the state
| of Iowa, and was once a railroad man,
being superintendent of road in New
York.
Commissioner Calhoun was selected
| to his present position by President Nc
| Kinley, and Is warm personal friend
of the present chief executive He was
the presidents personal representative
| In Cuba last year, where he made a
careful investigation Of the affairs on
the island for McKinley's information.
| He formerly studied law, and is a
counselor Of wide knowledge.
Mr.. Day does not hold public office,
being simply appointed to take charge
of special cases where there are no
compliments to supply an attorney.
Marshal O'Connor was unable before
the former session to serve ali the war
traffic men found 1t convenient to keep
out of town. It. is said that some of
these have not yet returned.
| Since the last Investigation q s11n1-