Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1906-12-03
always affected the price in the head
of the lakes market.


of the lakes market. n! 81
!. Divided Profits.
/ Hoslsins has been employed since
1892 in the interests of the combine
By the terms of his arrangement the
business of certain section was di-
vided among the elevators in the
comgine. If one house secured more.
than its share 1t had to pay a forfeit
of 251s cents per bushel to the central
office. Hoskins later awarded this
forfeit money to the elevators which
did not get their share of the bust
ness. sS5
I. Prices Fixed.
+ The price to be paid was fxed daily
by the reports sent out by Hoskins..
He figured on the Minneapolis market
quotations minus the railroad freight
rate and 3 cents commission. These
reports were not in the form OF quo
tatbons but were sent out as bids. The
arrangement amounted to the same
thing, however, as absolutely fixing
the price. .s.s;.s s55 5]5.35 s.}
All this machinery was working
prior to January, 1906, according to
the Witnesses examined. They testi-
fed, however, chat since that time
there has been no ironclad contract
In regard to the division Of business
and stated that the bids fixed in the
reports of Hoskns need not necessar-
lily be followed. ~,
~ Farmers say He's still Working.
. 1t is understood that farmers told
Attorneys Marble and Mckenzie that
the line elevator bids were all the
same, in spite OF the fact that the
elevators claimed to pay no particu.
lar attention to the Hoskins reports.
The only time that there ds a differ
ence is when an independent elevator
.or farmers elevator is in tine field.
These houses will always be found
paying about 2 cents per bushel more
than the allied line concerns. IT
$ Machinery Still Exists.
The ma,ehinery of the old combine
still EXISTS as in the days when the
combine reigned supreme. .@s II :,
Z The Hoskins reports are distributed
In South Dakota by Col. S. H. Jumper,
the inventor of the card system OF
fixing the price. In North Dakota the
official distributor of the reports is a
Fargo man named Oscar M. GuptiH
He tistified at the hearing in Duluth
yesterday and dropped several hints
of the hearing at Minneapolis which
gave The Telegram q clue to this
story. The information and cards
sent out by Hoskins and Durant gc
directly to GuptiH and Jumper. They
! distribute the cards . to but one
elevator in a locality which gives the
report to the rest. 3. 4, ..t.-
5# Heffelfinger Admits It.
While it is claimed that the infor
nation in these reports need not
necessarily be used by the elevators
it is a fact that they do so except
where an Independent house inter
5feres. Mr.. Heffelfinger admitted as
much on the stand. The farmers
| know it to be a fact. -.
I The attitude of the commission to
ward this combine lis of course not
known, but it is expected that the re
port to congress VIII have something
not altogether fattering to say ot
those connected With the arrange
ment A Buffalo grain man who
| heard the testimony said that the
agreement would result in ain unfair
profit of from $4,000 900 to $4,000, 600
per year for Minneapolis.
/ ..s Published in January. "
+ The report will probably not be pub
lished until the latter part of Janu
airy, 1907. The newspapers interested
| will be furnished with copy. ~sg