The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-10-29
FINISH OF THE
BUCKET SHOPS
Chamber of Commerce Members Be-
lieve They Will Soon Be
Rooted Out.
Yesterdays Decisions Will Clear the
Atmosphere in More Ways
Than One.
Beside Knocking the Bucket Shop
the Decision Will End the
Telegraph Fight.

The Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce
has won the great fight against the buck
ct shops after two years of continual
warfare The decision Of the United
States court of appeals, handed down in
Chicago yesterday, makes new precedent
in regard to the property rights in the
quotations. The decision bears directly
upon the rights of the Western Union
Telegraph company In the quotations, and
indirectly fixes certain rights of the
chamber in the same matter. BY graft
flying coincidence this decision came
simultaneously with the appearance in
court on a criminal charge of the pro-
prietOr of the biggest Minnea polls bucket
shop-the one that has been doing the
greatest injury to the chamber. The
elimination Of the great bucket shop evil
from the grain trade of the northwest is
now believed to be only question of
days.
That Western Union Contract.
The Western Union Telegraph company
now ms no legitimate grounds on which
to stand in opposition to the contract i'm
posed upon it by the chamber, and now in
the hands of the telegraph company for
signature This Is substantially the
same contract submitted to the telegra phi
company year ago which was never
signed. 1t provides that the Western
Union may have the quotations of the
Ats subscribers over the ticker, condi
ton that list Of all such subscribers shall
be furnished the chamber. and that any
subscriber found unsatisfactory to the
chamber shall be denied the service by the
Western Union. The chamber would of
course find any subscriber unsa tisfactOry
who was found to be using the quotations
for bucket shop purposes, or who upon
being accused OF such practices should re-
fuse to permit an investga ton into the
charges.
TO this the Western Union Telegra phi
company demurred The legal depart
ment OF the company declared that to Clt
off a subscriber having the ticker service,
and who was paying for it and was 9TH
erWise satisfactory to the Western Union
company. because the chamber requested
1T. would amount to discriminat ton: that
the firm or individual so cut off could sue
the telegraph company, which as a COM
mon carrier may not discriminate. The
Western Union offered to sign the con-
tract II the chamber in turn would sign
a bond indemnifying the Western Urion
IN case Of suit. This the chamber re-
fused to do. the clock was stopped the
B Western Union cut off, and the war be-
Gan.i-.v rr, -- .e.-... .''
The decision of the federal court YES
terday, from which there is no appeal
other than the United States supreme
court, gives the Western Union company
property rights in the quotations even
hfter they have been printed on the tick
ers Hence the telegraph company in a
suit brought against it for discrimination
would now stand as the owner Of the quo
tatlons rather than as a common carrier
thereof. There is, therefore. rfothing re-
manning on which the company can rea-
Ronably base a refusal to sign the con-
tract.
Quotations DoubIy afe-Guarded. =.
p,tt IL
tant than this, since 1t makes it 1mpOs-
sible for any subscriber to the ticker serv-
Ice TO give out the quotations to a third
person against the wishes of the tele-
graph company Having installed a tick
er. and being in receipt of the quota tons
Hne subscriber must not assume that he
may set up a second line of communica-
ton to another locality. The quotations
remain the property Of the Western Union
company even after they are printed on
the tape.
The new plan is to cut off all private
telephon1c communication, and there will
be no private telephone lines in the ex-
change room OF the new chamber where
business will be under way on Monday
next. Members Of the chamber who have
branch Offices may subscribe to the ticker
service in place Of maintaining the prt-
yate telephone lines
The Case Against Hammond
1t is not likely that the chamber will
take active part in the criminal case
brought by L" A. Hughes against C. ].
Hammond Of the Coe Commission com
pany, although the case affords opportunity
TO start an action to compel the Coe peo-
pie to show their books in court, which
would be a grand expose of bucket shop
methods. No member OF the chamber has
the slightest personal animus against
Hammond, nor is there any desire to
persecute him. The chamber has been
fighting for It's rights; for the right to it's
own property; for the right to prevent ir-
responsible people from using them for
purposes of fraud and since it has gained
the fight and will shortly be in position to
control It's quotations. there is DISPOSE
ton to be satisfied. For all this the SEN
timent against bucket shops is so strong
that many members feel the chamber
should follow up the case Of Hughes and
lend support.