Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1906-11-01
THEY FIXED PRICES.
Sensational Incidents in the Iowa
Grain Trust Inquiry at
Des MONIES.
AGREEMENT NOW IN FORCE
Fridays Testimony Showed That
Extensive Pooling Arrange
ments Are still in Existence
at the Present Time.

at the Present Time.
Des Moines, Ia, Oct. 27.-Sensa
tional incidents marked the offerini
Of testimony before the interstate
commerce commission in session herr
Friday, relative to the fixing Of price
for grain by the Des Moines Cerea
club for the members of the Stat,
Grain Dealers association and thu
pooling Of elevator business at many
iowa points. After several members
Of the Cereal club had testified thai
they could not remember that the or
ganization had ever voted to fix pri
ces for grain, r. W. Harper took the
stand and testified that as guest
Of the club he had often attended its
banquets and meetings. which were
held at the Grant club weekly, and
that after a discussion Of prices the
vote Of the meeting was taken on
motion by the presiding officer,
George A. Wells. secretary Of the
Grain Dealers association, and ex-
pressed by lifted hands, as basis
for quotations for the ensuing week
furnished to members of the associa-
ton by Ward G. Case, of this city.
Commissioner Lane, Of the inter
state comerce commission, gave the
Cereal cIub~who had testified that
prices were not fixed at meetings Of
the organization an opportunity to
amend their testimony, after which
Mr.. Harper left the stand.
Secretary Wells took the stand and
said that he had intended to testify
that he had not put motions of this
character at every meeting Of the
club and was about to proceed with
further amendments when Commits
sioner Lane, leaning quickly over his
desk toward Mr.. Wells, created a
sensation by the inquiry
Didn't you try to mislead the COM
mission on that point?"
Mr.. Wells said that he had not.
"Why did you testify as you did?'
continued Commissioner Lane. Did
you not try to create the impression
in the commissioners minds that
there was no fixing Of prices and that
nothing was done to fix prices at
these meetings? Didn't you do that%
Mr.. Wells insisted that he had not
done SO.
"Was not that your distinct effort
In answer to the questions?" persist
ed Mr.. Lane.
mo, sir" replied Mr.. Wells.
Didn't you in every way try to
evade and avoid answering the ques-
lions Of Mr.. Marble (the commits
slon's lawyer) put to you at the time
when asked in regard to fixing
prices?"
Mr.. Wells started to make some ex-
PLANTATION when he was dismissed
from the stand.
Ward G. Case, who was said to fur
nish the price card to the members
of the state association grain deal
ers,was called to the stand and In
terrogated in detail with respect to
the cards. He was not certain about
much OF the information he dis
closed and denied any arrangement
with the Cereal club.
The testimony in the hearing FRI
day was to the effect that the grain
dealers association is making fight
against the farmers elevator, which
is not member of the association,
or has the penalty clause, by restrict
ing its terminal market when posi-
BILE; that exclusive pooling arrange
ments have existed and now exist in
Iowa which control the amount OF
business done by competing eleva-
tors; that prices Of regular" eleva-
tors are governed more or less by a
card issued here by Ward @. Case;
that this card formerly was the result
of weekly discussion and frequent
vote Of the members Of the Des
Moines Cereal club; that Secretary
Wells and the members Of the Grain
Dealers association regard this card
as the basis for prices to be paid to
the farmers; and that Independent
elevators are forced into a pooling ar
rangement with line elevators on pen
atty of losing business by price ma
nipulation.