Hutchinson gazette., 1901-09-19
TIE GRAIN FIGHT
It Wakes Warm and ls Getting
Interesting.

There 10 case on the district court
docket which is Of great deal OF inter
est to the farmers and grain growers,
not only through Reno county, but all
over the State, Its innocent title is as
70 llows. "In the matterol an investiga-
tion of trust or unlawful combination
organized and having It's source in Reno
county, Kansas" This case has his
tory and with a part Of this history the
readers of the GAZETTE are already
familiar. The extortions Of the grain
trust became so unbearable that the
farmers in the neighborhood OF Haven
organized a Farmers Cooperative Grain
Dealers association for the purpose OF
handling their own grain, They after
overcoming numerous obstacles placed
in their way by the trust, succeeded in
building an elevator and commenced
buying grain, They raised the price OF
|
grain about three cents nearer to the
Kansas City price and were apparently
prospering, the trust being unable to buy
any at all, when all at once the export
dealers to whom they had been ship
ping their grain informed them that
they would no more buy their grain.
This they declared was because the
other grain dealers forming the trust
had determined to boycott them if they
did. That Is the trust said TO them
that II they should buy from the farmers
elevator, they the trust would not sell
to them,
This boycott, or threatened boycott on
the export dealers worked so well that
the Farmers elevator could find no
market for its grain and had to shut
down. But its officers we're not idle.
They went before attorney F. F, Prigg
with their evidence, having in mind a
civil SUIT against the trust for damages
He examined their evidence and in
formed them that while they no doubt
had ample grounds for damages, their
best hold was in the form of a criminal
case against the trust people for viola
ton of the antitrust laws. The matter
was then taken before Carr Taylor as
county attorney and he Immediately APP
piled to the district for an order for an
investigation and asked to have sub
poenies issued for about two dozen peo-
pie, grain dealers, who can give evidence
in the case. These people are many Of
them residents Of other counties, the
secretary of the grain trust being one OF
those subpoenaed. The hearing will
be on the goth Of September next Fri
day, There are only three or four from
Reno county on the list Of witnesses.
They are the Turon grain company, c.
N. Woodell of Nickerson, w. H, Donnell
of Haven, and c. G.. Robbins Of Mt,
Hope.
The county attorney declares that
the evidence is apparently all that could
be wished, that letters from the export
dealers telling why they refused to buy
and also letters from some of the local
dealers practically the same point will
be shown. He says some OF the strong
est Of these letters are from William
Astle, OF Haven who has been one the
worst enemies Of the company from the
start.
The State Farmers COOPERATIVE Live
stock and grain company is also inter
ested in the case and is furnishing valu-
able evidence. 1t bids fair TO become a
large case and will be quite likely to 20
to The higher courts. The penalties
provided for violation OF the law under
which suit is brought, is SIoo, fine and
thirty days in Jail as the minimum punish
ment for each one convicted, and it may
be as high as $1,000, fine and six months
in Jail. The statute also provides fine
OF Sloo. per day for every day the law
is violated after conviction,