The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-02-08
GRAIN TRUST BILL.
A New One Approved by House Com
naittee of Whole.

eAEG
nnittee of Whole.
The Lawrence grain trust bin had
not been engrossed this morning. and
was passed over on the calendar.
In committee Of the whole house the
grain trust question has been disposed
of and a stringent law on the subject
There-vas a spirited debate over the
substitute to the Bucklin bill Tt was
finally recommended for passage. Party
lines were ignored and the house worked
at the issue zealOus1y.
Representative Emmons, of Riley, the
only miller in the house, opposed the bill
outright, as did James Lawrence. of
Sumner The latter charged that the
bill, which bore his own name through
the technicality of getting the measure
legally on the calendar, was really in
the interest of the Kansas City board of
trade and the Peavey Elevator company.
the trust The grounds for his assertion
were that evils Kansas farmers suffer
are due to outside sources and markets.
Bucklin made a fight to have a viola
ton of the act made q felony, and in
sisted on having the imprisonment ac-
cruing specified to be in the penitentiary.
Representative GroSSer led the opposite
move to have it made a misdemeanor.
It stays felony but s'penitentiary' is not
specified, in order that If a conviction be
upon a young man-an agent or en-
plOye-hiS term of hard labor may De
wrought out in the reforrnatory.
Bucklin also batt1ed, but without sue
cess for the insertion of an additional
section providing that any aggrieved
person may bring a prosecution without
the intervention of a county attorney.
This point was fought out on the lines of
dangers of malicious prosecutions.
Grattan, of Mcpherson, spoke for the
bill because he saw that necessity COM
pels it. IF the penalties are severe, the
crime is stupendous,' he said, land I
am not in favor of any man walking on
this globe Ievying tribute on his fellow
man that obeys the law laid down in
Genesis, that you shall eat your bread
by the sweat of your brow" Grattan
proposed tightening one strongeney,
however, by inserting the word will
fully which was acquiesced in.
O'Donnel1 of Ellsworth, contributed
only the prophecy about the law being
enforced that public opinion would rise
in its might and do to the grain trust as
this house will do today
Gearhart johnson, of Decatur, backed
up his friend Bucklin in the discussion.
Mason of F'inney, Dooley of MontgOm-
el.v. (siessler of Logan. McKeever of
Shawnee and Durham of Lincoln were
in it also to the Strengthening out of the
legal tangles-
The bill makes it unlawful for persons
to form combinations or contribute
money or anything Of value to any of the
following described amalgamations:
s'F'irst-Any such trust, pool, combf-
nation or association which has for one
of its objects the prevention of compe-
t5tion among buyers sellers or dealers
s.Second-Any such trust, pool. combi-
nation or association which has for one
of its objects the prevention of COMPETE
ton by requiring or compelling Its men,
berS not to deal with shippers or dealers
in grain who are not members OF such
trust pool. combination, or association.
tsThird-Any such trust, pool, combl-
nation or association which has for one
of it's objects the prevention of any per
son, company, partnership, association
or corporation that ships grain otherwise
than through grain elevators whether
owned or operated by members OF Such
trust pool, combination, or association,
or not) from finding purchasers for such
grain by boycOtting or threatening TO
boycott the purchasers thereof.
tsFourth-Any such trust, pool conbi-
nation or association which by any of its
acts, or the acts of any of it's officers,
members agents. or employees, hlnderS
or prevents. or tends to hinder or pre-
vent the fullest competition in the pur-
chase, sale or dealing in grain by any
person, partnership, corporation or asso-
citation outside of or not member OF
such trust, pool combination or associa-
ton and not doing business by or
through such trust, pool or combination,
or any of its members, officers agents,
or employees
ton or association which requires its
members not to sell, purchase or con-
sign any grain to or from any person,
company, association or corporation not
a. member of such trust, pool. combina-
ton or association and not doing bust
ness through the same or any OF its
members
The penalties prescribed for convic-
ton are ga fine of not less than 500 and
not more than $1,000. or by confinement
and hard labor not more than two years
or by imprisonment in the county Jail
not less than six months, or by both
s7c.ar ant