The evening times., 1900-06-14

SALINA, Kan, June 1.-THE grain buy
ers, millers. and farmers of central and
western Kansas are greatly exercised over
the advent of the Peayy Elevator Company,
OF Minnesota, into the Kan as wheat belt.
They claim that the Northern company is
trust; that il is endeavoring to stihe com
petition, and that when it succeeds it Ie-
duces the price which it pays farmers for
their grain. To prove these assertions at
tention is called to the fact that the COM
pany has secured control OF fo-ty-six ele-
vators in central and western Kansas, ard
is constantly building more. Several in
stances are cited in which il is alleged the
Peavy company has forced individual eIe-
vator men to sell out to them, and the
matter has progressed SO far that an appeal
has been made to the Interstate Gem
merce Commission for assistance.
1t is further alleged that the Peavy Com
pany has a combination with the Tn on
Pacific Railway Company, whereby it is
enabled TO ship grain more cheap.y than its
competitors from points where il is forced
to come into competition with others, ard
that il can theI efOre oYersell them urtil
the competitors are forced out of business.
The grain men OF Kansas must fight for
their lives" said a local buyer today. but
they dare not do it individually nor open
ly- There is not a grain man in the state
that can afford to get the illwiII OF the
feavy Company. Ii is a well-known fact
however, among grain men that the c9m-
pany is endeavoring TO get the same hold
on the Kansas grain fields that 1t has on
these Of Minnesota and Dakota Up there
il has stihed all competition. and pays the
farmer just whatever it pleases for their
grain
The Peavy Company operates in Kansas
under the name OF the Midland Elevator
Company of Kansas City, Kan. Within
recent months it has secured control of
forty-siX elevators on the Union Pacific
system, ali Of them at places where it viii
have little or no competition from other
grain dealers aside from what are known
as line companies" or companies acting
in cooperation with other railroads.
Where this occurs the line companies
form pool and divide the business.
The Peavy Elevator Company last year
claimed TO have handled one-tenth Of all
the grain raised in America II is by far
the largest grain company in the world. To
prove that it is a trust and has adopted
trust principles IN forcing smaller dealers
out Of business. three instances are cited
within twenty miles Of Salipa. 81 Bavaria,
elevator which was owned until a few
months ago by II. Work, grain dealer OF
Ellsworth. Kan, and a prominent member
OF the Kansas Grain Dealers Association.
When the Peavy Company began its opera
tiOns on the Union Pacific Il offered TO buy
Work out but he refused the offer The
company, it is alleged, then unloaded the
material for a new elevator in Bavaria and
threatened to put up a new building and
run Work out of business il he refused TO
sell, and he then sold.
The same tactics were ussi Il IS said,
with w. II. McCracken, a grain buyer at
Solomon. Kan. At Mentor six miles south
OF Salina, the company recently asked for
lease Of the Miller elevator. The owner
asked s10O a month for the property, but
the Peavy Company refused to pay more
than $50. and threatened 10 put up a new
elevator If the lease was not accepted.
few weeks ago the milIers and grain
dealers Of Kansas combired in asking
United States Senator Harris 70 secure a
report from the Interstate Commerce
Commission 20 the United States Senate
regarding its Investigations of the work
ing OF the line companies"
The report made by the Commissi n
seems to corroborate the charges made by
Kansas grain men against the Peavy CCm-
pany. At any rate the dealers and mile S
along the line Of the Union Pacific espe-
. NaeA-1 att tSNoAA-AL6 AiiSlNcAtu Aoi ACdI NAcs
will be crowded out OF business. The Peavy
Company has not secured an elevator in
this city, bur il has three at small statio-s
within six miles Of the city limits.
The Union Pacific Company has recently
promulgated an order denying cars to in
diyidual farmers unless they have s1fi-
cient grain at the track 20 I'LL the car. This
practically prohibits farmers fr1m stipCi7 s
their own grain and eompels them to sell
. to the elevators, as il Is almost imp osSihls
for them 70 have enough grain at the track
to I'LL the car when II is set out for them.