The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-10-27
GRAIN COMBINE =
ON THE GRIDDLE
Yesterdays Examination at FDes
':%t.7ISt. ..sEf " 81
Moines Hard Ordeal for
Secretary Wells.
Special to The Journal.

Des Moines, Iowa. Oct 27.-The hear;
| ing before the Interstate commerce COM
mission yesterday afternoon on the
grain elevator situation in Iowa proved
| Wells and other members of the Iowa
Grain Dealers association. There were
several sensational passages, in which
| the, testimony of the grain men was.
discounted by documentary evidence.
At one time Mr.. Wells was ordered from
the stand by Commissioner Clark, who
charged him with attempting to mis-
lead the commission. f$S4(. FL
The farmers and representatives of
the Farmers Cooperative association
endeavored to show that the grain com
bine was in the habit Of fixing prices
and Of freezing out the irregplars, In
quired into the methods Of the cooper.
atives and asked if the "call rule' did
not come pretty close to fixing prices
! - The Messerole Boycott. ~.
G. G. Messerole of Gowrie, who took
the stand at the opening of the after.
noon session, is secretary of the Farm
ers' Cooperative Grain Dealers asso-
citation, and one of the chief opponents
Of the Grain Dealers association.
citation. Messerole said his connection
with the farmers, company dated from
| UAO UAuIC uC udu &dCGc1LlpGCu W DuS1-
ness as an Z: independent without
joining the association to fix prices;
~ was cut off from the market by
the Iowa Grain Dealers association, =
he said, <"Thru its secretary, George
A. Wells, a boycott was forced on the
house, which had my business. The
Illinois association enforced the same
Mr.. Wells.'' -
I Mr.. Messerole said he had proof of
this allegation in letters filed with the
commission. He testified further that
some of the Independents had been re-
! Leased from the boycott on the condi-
! ton that they would discontinue: the
penalty clause. ~.
Ward Cases s'Cards.'' -.
Ward Case of Des Moines, who regu-
larly sends out cards quoting prices on
! the cards no attempt to fix prices. The
; Iowa Grain Dealers association SUBJ
scribes for the cards and circulates
them among its members In contra
diction to Mr.. Cases testimony, let
ter Of his, written to the Farmers Co:
operative company at Norway, Iowa,
last June, stating that the figures
Il quoted on his cards were to be the pre-
Il Yailing prices, was read. -.
,|!;: It Was a "Social'' Affair.
t.. Secretary Wells testified that alths
the Cereal: club of Des Moines formerly
met regularly each week in al room fol
which the rent was paid out of the
. funds Of the Iowa Grain Dealers asso,
citation, the purposes Of the club were
merely "social intercourse R. w
Harper, a prominent Des Moines grair
dealer, threw a different light on this
hvr tot 49, 3D. III
the Cereal club voted on what prices
should prevail and that the prices were
suggested by Wells d. -
Il H.: IL. ! The Morning Hearing. -
: That the Milwaukee railroad has as
sisted in establishing a. virtual grair
:, shipping monopoly at Kansas City by
placing it's grain shipments from thai
city in the hands Of the Simonds
q Shields Elevator company; that Shield!
T. was advised Of all reductions in rateI
last fall which permitted him to max,
an enormous profit on 100000 bushels
Of grain in Chicago; that Shields, al
d elevator agent for the company at Kan
T. sas City, collects no tariff from him
> self for grain passing thru the eleva
u tors, but forces " competitors VIII
e snip over the milwaukee, to pay tina
: tariff; finally, that by failing to give
!, thirty days notice Of change in sched
olEule,, he has violated the terms of tn
e contract, which is not permitted b,
e the federal laws; these were the tech
e nical points brought out in the hear
Z. ing in the morning by the interstat
IL commerce commission thru J. T. Hiland
Is third vice president Of the Chicago
e Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad.
q Mr.: Hiland was on the stand the en-
tire forenoon. He stated that Shield
y of the Simonds Shields Elevator com
a. pany has been appointed elevator agen
IS elevator in which Shields is partne
a. is now operated by the Milwaukee raj
road and the employees are paid b
Att the railroad company. Furthermore
sEs tsome Of the men there are EMPLOYED i
he he work for the company a portion of thei
oh time and for the railroad the remain
Ter der
ne The elevator was formerly leased b
n 3g the railroad to the: company, but 0
10 elevator and made Shields its elevate
rs agent at a salary of $4,000 year. Th
elevator still leases it's storage tank
f. from the railroad company for $500
- a year, altho Attorney Marble for tt
~ commission stated that at: other place
~ such a lease with special privileges thu
to are given to Shields would be wort
;e. $20,000 The attorney left the infe
"a ence that Shields is given special ratt
tV and given advance information as 1
y changes in shipping tariffs. There W;
no evidence taken as to Iowa at all
the forenoon session.
Mr.. Hiland was asked whether II
Nicola elevator company is forced |
ship over the Milwaukee and wheth,
- the railroad company forces the ell
III vator to give it a certain tonnage or |
u Disseminated against. This Mr.. Hila1
= denied. -
A large audience attended the Sc
sion in the morning.
It is charged by the farmers tn
Secretary Wells of the Grain Dealer
. association fixes Iowa grain prices
ce all towns each day at noon, and tn
ma there is no appeal. i.
ill ------
no TO CURE COLD IN ONE DAY -:
80 Take LAXATIVE BROMO Quinine Tablets. DR.
w. gists refund money ii it fails to cure E.
GROVES signature is on each box. 25c.
wn ------------ -
tie srouGHroN. WIS.,. ROY ALMOST KILL
'ue Special to The Journal.
ny Madison, Wis, Oct. 27.-Carl Strommen,
M Stoughton youth, was blown off lumber
lat in windstorm last night and seriously inju1
rst HIS leg was broken, face cut and he was M n
m. nally injured and may die, the lumber fall
- upon him. - Il. .-r- .-.s + f.
on Chief Baker Of the Madison police departm
= may resign to accept the management Of
to gas company in Ohio. He helped to suppress
az riots in Milwaukee in 1885 and saved murde
1o from an Infatuated mob at Clinton, Wis,
In. <ho A