The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-10-07
CHAMBER FOLK
FIND The LEAK
Quotations Ceased Going to Bucket
shops When Certain Telephone
Boy Was Removed.
Wire-Tapping Is Suspected, as the
Line Belongs to Members in
Good Standing.
a nter-Proposition Is Received
by the Chamber From the
Western Union.

After some earnest work this morning
the Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce
directors discovered the leak by which
bucket shops have been securing quota
tions on the local wheat market The
discovery was made shortly before noon
and was made by the simple process Of
elimina ton.
AS was the case yesterday the price
clock was screened to-day and no Min
neapOlis quotations were Dulet1ned New
ertheless. spoilers at the bucket shops re-
ported that the Chamber quotations were
still being received. There was one pos
sble leak which had not been looked into
and SO the investigators turned their at
tention to the telephone boys. Ranged
about the walls Of the big room are TWEEN
tytwO telephones maintained by broK-
ers who use them for sending quotations
from the floor to their offices. Each
'phone is in charge Of a boy.
Notifying the spoilers In the bucket
shops Of the plan, tn" directors began
taking the boys away from their inStru-
ments at Intervals Of Is minutes. The
process was a long one and was pursued
for an hour or more without results. Sud
denly the look out men reported break
in the quotations coming to the bucket
shops. There was nothing doing and the
investigators were satisfied they hal
found the leak. A comparison Of watches
fixed the responsibility upon a boy EN-
ployed by a Minneapolis broker to send
quotations to st. Paul correspondent
Both the broker and the correspondent are
In good standing IN the Minneapolis
Chamber and the directors are slow tc
, accuse them Of completely in the affair
Wire tapping is regarded as a more prob
able explanation. though in view of the
fact that the leak has been stopped. al
embarrassing. inquiry may not be pushct
further.
The w. U: Counter Proposition.
The Minneapolis chamber of commerce
has received a counter proposition from
the Western Union~Ielegrap company
If 1t were to. be accepted the fight between
the two giants would promptly end. Blu
the chamber will not accept.
The Western Union has agreed to sig
the contract demanded by the chambe
and to withhold the Minneapolis quota
tons from the bucket shops, provided tn
chamber will sign bond to indemnify tn
telegraph company from any damage
that may result
The telegraph company takes tn
ground that it is a common carrier, an
numerous legal decisions are referred t
wherein it Is held that the company is
common carrier. This being the case tn
Western Union may not it says discrin
mate as to what particular firm firm
1t will supply with continuous quotation
any more than railroad company ma
discriminate against any passenger or re
fuse to receive freight from any shipper
This. the chamber Of commerce admit
may be all right fine-spun legal al
gument; but it is put forward, the diret
tors say, to draw attention away fro1
the contention Of the chamber. which HI
some degree Of moral right for it's basi
However the matter may look to a gret
corporation lawyer say chamber member
the fact remains that the Western Unio
company is taking the quotations of tt
Minneapolis chamber, the best patron
has in the northwest. and, because 1t ca
make money by 50 doing is selling thes
quotations to the direct injury Of tt
chamber. And it refuses to desist becaus
1T would lose the revenue now derive
from the service given the bucket shops,