Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-02-11
AFTER THE GRAIN DEALERS
Bill Before the Iowa LsVislaturs Modelled
After the Gsbraska Law.
ASSOCIATION DENIES FIXING PRICES
Testimony Before Interstate Com
Reree Commission Is Held. How
ever. 90 Dfseredit This
Statement by Them.
rrom a star correspondentO


DIES MONIES Feb. 16-CspeciaL)- The
Iowa Grain Dealers association Is opposing
the enactment Of the bfl introduced some
days ago BY Stlilman OF Greene which is
patterned after the Nebraska law under
which the grain combine was some time
since put out OF business. Representative
sullman secured a copy Of the Nebraska
law. but in writing his bill he made Il
much less severe and drastic Within the
last few days letters and petitions have be
gun to come In against the measure and
it is understood that the Grain Dealers
association will go before the committees
to oppose the passage Of the bill.
Representative Sullrnan has fortified him
self with a transcript OF all the evidence
taken by the Interstate Commerce com
mission in its hearing in this city some
months ago. when II went fully into the
dealings of the Grain Dealers association
and it's alleged efforts to fix the price Of
grain in Iowa II was at that Investigation
that the activity Of the Cereal club Of this
city was shown and the attempt OF the at
torneys for the commission was to show
that the association worked through this
Cereal club to fix prices and they believed
they showed this conclusively.
George Wells. secretary for the Grain
Dealers association. presided at the Cereal
club meetings which were held weekly at
the Grant club and before the commission
he testified that there had never been any
attempt at these meetings to hx prices.
Later. when other witnesses were brought
on. all OF whom testified that they attended
the meetings and that they did fix prices
by putting motions and that Wells put the
motions as chairman. Wells was asked to
be recalled and corrected his testimony
Other witnesses called during that investi-
cation stated that they had acted in mall
ing out the postal card quotations and tes-
titled that It was their understanding that
they did it for the Grain Dealers associa-
ton SdIl others, testified that they had
been approached and solicited to Join the
state association and the idea was held out
to them that one Of the benefits Of member
ship was the receipt each day OF the postal
card quotations.
Mr.. Stillman proposes to go before the
committee OF the house and will attempt
TO show that the influencing OF the price
Of grain even A very small fraction is Of
decided Importance to the entire state. The
crop Of corn alone in Iowa the past year
was 9s5. 600 800 bushels and though a great
deal of II was not shipped from the state
yet he will show that the price as in
iuenced by the Grain Dealers association
affects the price which the feeders have
to pay for corn and that shipped and that
fed to stock is the greater part Of the crop.
The influencing OF the price of corn 1 cent
bushel makes difference OF s.. $4,000 on
the crop of the state. -
RedistrsetiRE Proposition.
The Letting ous * thea pirsppOsition to re
/ fba tau In nh -h
three congressman would be put in different
districts from the ones they now live in.
has aroused interest in the matter OF re-
districting the state. II is rumored that
another proposition may be preached in
a short time and a bill introduced. The
plan, said to come from the southern part
OF the state, would make the following
changes:
Cedar county. from the Fifth 20 the Sec
Ond district. Jackson county, from the Sec
ond to the Firth: Grumpy, from the Fhtf
Seventh; Wright, from the Third &C the
! Tenth: Davis. from the Sixth to the First
I Marion. from the Seventh to the sixth
Mills. from the Ninth to the Eighth. Craw
ford. from the Tenth to the Ninth; Monona
| from the Eleventh to the Ninth; Montgom
cry, from the Ninth to the Eighth.
state Printer Fight.
The investigation OF the question of how
much the state Is paying for its printing
and binding as called for by the resolution
of Lambert is opening the question in 1
way that viii lead TO interesting develop
ments- 1t is not at all improbable bu
that an offer viii be made to the Legislature
by some OF the witnesses called TO do THU
work for very much less than the state 4
paying at this time. There are numbe
who are in favor OF having the work dom
as far as possible at the state peniten
taries and there are also rumors that
bill will be introduced shortly providing 70
the erection of a building in this city OF
the states ground and the equipment o
} the building with machinery so that tn
state could do its own printing.