The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1907-10-04

Win our senior senator we nave nOchlnf
to do, except as it may be necessary {,
refer to it in the argument ON the rea
issue. 1t is not Secretary Shaw or Sen
ator Hansbrough, but the rebate OF
wheat imported into this country anc
ground in Minneapolis mills, that is on,
question.
We have taken the liberty of number.
ing Mr.. Shaw's paragraphs for more rea
dy and briefer reference in this reply
We would not perhaps have the temerity
to attempt to answer Mr.. Shaw's letter
in any way except that we have an adj
vantage over him from the fact we are
nearer the real point of view, and there
fore may possibly see some things clear
er, or at least differently.
In the famous argument on the tariff
between Blaine and Gladstone the for
mer admitted the soundness Of the lat
ter's argument, from an English point
of view. So we admit Mr.. Shaw's
position as mainly correct from the Min
neapolis miller's view, but the stronger
and truer it is for the miller the more
Objectionable for the North Dakota
farmer.
For a gentleman of such we'll known
legal and clerical ability we are some
what surprised at some technical, spe-
cial pleadings which he interjects IN his
arguments. For instance, in paragraph
he says ''It is law and not ruling"
But in the same paragraph he refers to
the same thing as I, decision" and also
paragraph 3: in paragraph 2 he says the
attorney general gave an opinion: in par
agraph he calls it an interpretation
Besides this the whole matter in contro-
versy is founded on an Interpretation of
the law. What MIR. Shaw means when
he says it was not ruling is not obvi-
GUS to the general reader. 1t is dis
function without difference. Up to
the time of this interpretation of the
law no wheat was imported to be mix
ed with American wheat and related.
Then MIR. Shaw says in paragraph 4,
''The Millers Association never made
any request That is doubtless true of
the association as body, but the late
Secretary doesn't inform who made the
request, and somebody certainly did, or
there would not have been an interpre-
tation, or decision. Perhaps it was some
cotton planter down south, or the Stand
ard Oil Company, or Massachusetts
shoemaker. Mr.. S. says in paragraph l,
your people are pretty intelligent" but
does not seem to be willing to give us
credit to know who our friends are, in
his misleading statement.
There was only one lot of people who
were interested in getting in the wheat
without paying the duty, and the North
Dakota farmer has been intimately &C
quainted with them over quarter of
cantury. Probably the honorable secre-
tary does not know these people as we do.
We advise him to read the report Of the
committee of the North Dakota Bank
ers Association, (Mr. Shaw is banker
now, we believe) which charges that the
Minneapolis dealers, who are mostly
miilers or controlled by mi4lcrs,- steal
more than million dollars every year
from North Dakota farmers and tells just
how it is done. Besides lot that we
don't know anything about, but have
very good reason for guessing.
Just now, and for the last year, be-
cause with the shortage of cars" the
farmer cannot ship privately, they are
stealing from four to ten cents bushel
on every bushel of wheat we ship to
them. The margin between Pembina
market and Minneapolis is anywhere
from twelve to twenty cents bushel at
different times and the freight is less
than nine cents. With the elevator,
railroad and inspection systems in COL
fusion, we are completely at the mercy
of these poor but honest Minneapolis
millers who "never asked for the rebate"
as Mr.. Shaw puts it. No other market
is open to US. MINI eapolis buys our
hard wheat, uses what it likes, and sells
the balance, after mixing it to suit their
own desires and purses.
And again the Hon. Secretary asks us
to believe that these friends of the North
Dakota farmers sell -four at 'ive cents
barrel profit and that they sometimes
cable offers to Europe for less than
COST" ...
We wonder if in these calculations of
profit ::and loss, the stealings are given
duel Credit. Otherwise we cannot &C.
count for the prosperity of Minneapolis
millers except on the theory of the Jew,
who explained, 7"while he sold all his
goods below cost that he would make no
profit except for the fact that he sold so
many
Mr.. Shaw seems to be particularly
nervous over the fact that the senior
senator from this state charged him