The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1906-10-27
interesting: incident of the Inter.
state Board Inquiry Held
at Des Moines.
ISSUE OF vERACITY IS RAISED
Testimony from Two Persons That Is
Numerically Opposite.
Man Impeached Is Significantly Ques.
toned by Commissioners Lane
Substance of What the
Inquiry Developed.

Des Moines, Ia, Oct. 81. - In the
hearing here before the interstate CON-
mission relative to the fixing of prices
for grain by the Des Moines Cereal
club for tho members of the State
Grain Dealers association and the pool
Ing of elevator business at many Iowa
points, after several members of the
Cereal club mad testified that they
could not remember that the organiZa-
ton had ever voted to fix prices for
grain r. W. Harper took the stand
and testified that SIS a guest Of the
Climb be had often attended its ban
Quets and meetings, and that after dis
cussIon of prices the vote Of the meet
ing was taken by the presiding officer
George A. Wells, secretary of the
Grain Dealers association. and thus
was fixed a basis for quotations for
the ensuing week to be furnished to
members Of the association by cards
issued by Ward G.. Case, of this city.
Lane Gets on His Trail.
After Harper left the stand Wells
was recalled, and said that he had in
tended 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 Commissioner Lane, leaning
quickly over his desk toward Wells.
created a sensation by the inquiry:
Didn't YOU try to mislead the com
mission on that point:" Wells said
that he had not.
why did you testify as you did?"
continued Commissioner Lane. did
you not to try to create the impression
In the commissioners minds that
there was no fixing CT prices, and that
nothing was done to fix prices at these
meetings? Didn't You do that?" Wells
insisted that he had not done so.
Persists in the Imputation.
"Was not that your distinct effort
in answer TO the questions?" persisted
Lane mo, SIR" replied Wells.
Didn't you in every way try to
evade and avoid answering the ques-
tons Of Mr. Marble the commissions
lawyer put to you at the time, when
asked in regard tofxing prices? ?" Wells
started to make some explanation
| he was dismissed from the stand.
Summary of the Disclosures.
The facts disclosed by the testimony
in the hearing were to the effect that
the Grain Dealers association is max
ing a fight against the Farmers ele-
vator, which is not a member of the
association, or has the penalty clause
restricting itN terminal market when
possible; that extensive pooling ar
rangements have existed and now ex-
! list in Iowa. which control the amount
OF business done by competing eleva-
tors: that prices Of regular" elevators
are governed more or less by q card
issued here by Ward G. Case; that
this card formerly was the result Of
the weekly discussion and frequent
vote OF the member of the Des Moines
Cereal club; that Secretary Wells and
the members Of the Grain Dealers as
ISOLATION regard this card as the basis
for prices to be paid the farmers, and
that independent elevators are forced
into a pooling arrangement with line
when hewas dismissed from the stand.
ness by price manipulation.