Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-02-02
Grain Dealewssglll
Is Drast; S'sasure
Will Protect Small Dealers
By Furnishing Attempts to
Stifle Competition.
Des Moines Bureau Of
The Ottumwa Courier
Des Moines. Feb. /

Des MoineS, Feb.
The teeth Of the Iowa Grain Dealers
association will have to be pulled II
the bill offered in the house yesterday
by Stillman of Greene county, becomes
a law an dthe small grain dealers OF
the state will lhave cause for rejoicing.
The bill is one of the most drastic
measures yet offered. 1t ranks with
the anti-lobby bill and those two are
about the only drastic measures yet
offered.
| In providing that it shall ge illegal
for any person or interest engaged IN
the grain business to contribute money
or anything of value to any association
or combination that has for its object
the prevention of full and free compe-
tition in grain dealing, the bill strikes
at the state association. 1t was pretty
generally brought out at the time of
the sitting of the interstate commerce
commission in this city some months
ago that the Iowa Grain Dealers as
sociation is quite active in fixing
prices and doing all it can to prevent
a full and free competition in the
grain business. Part of this activity
is exerted through the Cereal Club
that used to meet regularly for lunch
at the Grant Club. Furthermore the
state association engaged Ward Case
to send out postal cards quoting
prices on grain.
This is illegal under the bill offered
by Stillman Of Greene. Furthermore
any person injured by such arbitrary
fixing Of prices and controlling of the
market can bring action and recover
damages and all persons interested in
the controlling of prices are liable to
the payment of such damages. OF
course no bill could be made retroac-
!, tive, but If the bill shuld become a
2 law and the manipulations of the
/ Grain Dealers association continue,
: there would likely be lawsuits spring
up all over the state by independent
grain dealers for damages for ruined
/ business, and farmers everywhere in
the state would have right of action
against the line elevator companies
for the damages they have suffered
through the depression of prices by
. the Grain Dealers association.
The bill introduced in the house by
Weeks making an appropriation for
the benefit of the Iowa state fair will
make the members Of the two houses
sit up and take notice. The bill has a
number of resolutions for its introduc-
ton. 1t is the custom largely Of both
houses to cut off all resolutions when
a bill Is enacted into law but as intro
duced the bill goes into the files and
is laid before each member.
!. The "whereases" on the state fair
$ bill are especially pertinent and are
t intended no doubt primarily for the
t legislature to read. They are as fol
J. lows: Whereas, swine raising is one
J of the principal sources of income for
e the farmers of the state Of Iowa, and
I whereas the annual show Of swine at
. the Iowa state fair has grown to such
! an extent within the past few years
. that it is recognized as the worlds
greatest show, and, whereas, the
. equipment now provided fol-
. this show upon the state
fair grounds is inadequate
= unsanitary, and disgrace, not only
y to the great state of Iowa. but to the
. : swine breeders who annually contrib
= ute to this show, and whereas, the at
!, tendance at the annual Iowa state
q fair and exposition has grown by leaps
r. and bounds the past few years G90,
! 100 last year, and, whereas, during
d the week of the fair and exposition
Il thousands of people are daily refused
$ admittance to the ampitheatre, which
n is neither adequate nor safe, ant
d whereas, the great state of Iowa has
r not kept pace in the past with othel
g. states in providing proper equipment
S upon her state fair and exposition
A grounds or in keeping with those pro
o vided for her other state institutions
e therefore" and then follows the bill
p appropriating money for the ampi
1t theater and swine pavilions.
Arney in the house yesterday intro
duced bill intended to preserve thu
]. records SO that counties will have tt
support their old soldiers who go in
i'd sane. In the past, admission to th
Soldiers Home at Marshalltown ha
been had upon the affidavit of an.
!, !, person and the showing that the pei
=, - son to be admitted is an old soldier
~ ~ In some cases old soldiers haye gon
=, =, insane. In such cases the law pre-
= :. vides that the county of their residenc
); shall pay for their support. But il
"a | most cases the evidence OF reSldenc
of the soldier is lost. Arney's bill Pre-
vides that when admitted the count
u. officials must certify the residence O
10 the soldier This fixes it as matte
is of record.
rs Senator Pruden says that unless tn
tax on fire insurance business don
in other states by Iowa companies
removed, some of the companies wi
be found moving out of the state. TIL
n Dubuque Fire and Marine contemplate
saving it's outside business by goin
h. over into Illinois. The Iowa law fixe
is q per cent tax on this business. A
ast Iowa taxes the home business hal
IS per cent higher than other states an
lg they retaliate. the Iowa companies ar
ct in fact at disadvantage of 1k pc
n cent on all business done outside tn
Estate. A committee consisting {