The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-11-02
GRAIN men STICK
| At new On. LEASE
ELEVATOR FIRMS OBJECT TO CAR
RYING ANoTHER's LIABILITY.
Under the New Leases Submitted by
the Road, the Tenant Not Only Alb
solves Road from Damage by Fire,
but Must Assume Liability for Dam
age to Others.

Grain elevator men have a difficult
whether or not they shall sign leases
OF elevator sites that the Great North
ern has submitted to them. The new
leases replace those which have been in
existence a long time. Under the old
lease the relations between the Great
Northern road and the elevator com
panles with grain houses on the sys-
lease has stirred the Minneapolis com
panles, to the very depths. Meetings
are believed to be scheduled for con
ference sitting out of the situation.
Secrecy is being observed in the matter,
but it is well understood that no grain
f1rm VIII sign the lease without taking
careful legal counsel.
The tendency of the railroad man
agement is what stirs up the grain men.
| The, old lease was not considered har-
| RAISING III its terms. The leases were
supposed to be reissued each year. It
has become the custom for them to run
along, year after year, without resigna-
ture. The payment Of the nominal
rental fee kept them binding.
! . The first intimation of trouble brew
ing came when leases were executed for
| elevator sites on new lines and ex-
! tensions of tn systm. The terms of
but the latest leases are said to Be still
another step toward practically abso-
Lutte control of the grain companies
business by the transportation lne.
In the old lease the notice of revoca-
ton, with order for the grain company
to move its property from the right-of-
way, was confined to some time between
Jan. l and April l, before the crop year
began. Under the new lease six months
1 ms q q n
Some Of the excessively binding con,
ditions in the new lease are absolutely
new features. It is required that the
lessee shall install such fire apparatus
as shall be approved by the railroad s
chief engineer, to be used by either
the road or the tenant. This is in the
face of the fact that the grain me1
must hold the railroad company guilt
less whether fire started by fire com
municated from locomotive, or not
In case the tenant fail to install sucl
apparatus, or shall cease to operate thu
elevator or GRAIN warehouse for NOR,
than six months the road may confis
cate the property.
The tenant must paint his building
with such color as the engineer of tn,
road shall approve and shall keep tn
premises free from combustibles. An,
other than the standard color of tn
|
Not only does the lease absoEve tn
railroad company from all liability TO-
. damage to the tenants property thru
fires started by negligence Of railroa,
employees or, otherwise, but the eleva
= tor company must assume the lfabilit,
for damage to railroad or other proper
ty resulting from such fires in the ele
vator. This means that if the elevate
burns and the fire is communicated
fro IF yUha hoIo
the grain firm, the firm must pay 70
l the damage. 80. = -
+" lnasmuch as the grain firm canno
carry insurance on such grain wit
s which it has nothing to do, this provi
9 sion is causing caustic comment.
+ The section relating to the remova
q OF buildings on order of the compan,
tenant fail to remove buildings or othe
s property from the company's Ian,
n within the time required, the right o
II the, tenant is to cease and the title o
Z. the erectIonst is to pass to the part
Of the first part, being the railroad. T..
Comment has been made on the fac
that while railroads object so strenu
ousiy to extraneous supervision, thi
! particular railway system is requirin
: execution Of leases which seem to prat
t1cally place the control Of the graf
business belonging to others under it
q own autocratic management.
8 One clause which was obiectionabl
:. to- grain men in the old lease, is r.
d aggregate of binding clauses in til
e new Instrument. This permits agent
d of the railroad company to have fire
h access at any time to inspect the hani
ling of the grain, also books, paper
n and vouchers of the elevator COMPANY
n and to inspect the scales at any tim,
J. the expense of the examination to b
|: paid by the tenant. E'