Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1913-03-21
THE GRAIN INVESTIGATIONS


of the Investigations into the business Of handling
grain that we give space the following rather long but
by far the best account which of the nvest
CATION taken from the Dawson Sentinel The Sentinel
says- i
No. we are not going to amend or retract any of the
statements we recently made the subject of the egsla
tive investigation of the Chamber of Commerce. On the
contrary going to of the specific facts
upon which our concentrations of two weeks ago
based
The testimony presented has brought forth some
startling truths. It has shown:
That Minneapolis commissions men have bribed
managers of farmers elevators ship grain Chamber
of Commerce members.
2 That switching charges of $3.50 per have
been collected by commission merchants for thousands of
cars when the railroad companies made no such charge
That through deal with railroad companies
shippers have been charged S1.oo per demuvage in
violation Of Law.
Grain companies have loaned money to farmers
elevator companies under contracts which bound the farm
ers elevators to ship all their grain the companies
making the loans
S There is no competitive bidding grain at coun-
try points for shipments to the Minneapolis market
Large companies owning elevators, acting as COM
mission men. sell grain to themselves
z That the large mills and elevators owned by
the same through the community of interest plan
and that the price longer determined by supply and
demand.
That the Chamber of Commerce is closed cor
poation of restricted membership and the memberships
are held at price beyond the reach of the average grain
merchant.
g. That there not restriction the number of
memberships which large and powerful firm hold.
10 That member of the Chamber of Commerce
may not with anybody outside of the Chamber if
he violates this rule he must pay fne
II The Chamber of Commerce is controlled by line
elevators and milling interests.
Note this: If
The line eleyaros and the mills control the cham
2 The chamber controls the buying and selling of
grain at the terminal market and the price to be paid
can farmers elevators their purpose
by shipping their grain to commission that work
through the chamber of Commerce? Is not fact that
they are payng the hands of their old-tme
petitoIs the line elevators?
The newspaper reports of the testimony presented at
the hearings have been grossly misleading All the arts
of the headline writer have used dscredt those
who exposing the inqutes of the Grain Trust. The
printing of has been subordnated the sordd
task of 'saving the bacon the grain buyers and the
grain gamblers. Much of the information wrung from
the unwilling lips of Chamber of Commerce witnesses has
been given scant mention in the Mill City press While
the methods of the chamber being scruinzed the
Investigation accomplishing nothing" When the
searchlight thrown the Farmers Exchange
yestigation assumed such proportions
that even the duled and jaded of the Twin City
press we're aroused. fa
The hostile Senate investigation launched the
nstigation of reactionary whose purpose
was and-f one may judge from his conduct presid
ing oicer-is shield the chamber of and
dscredit those who seeking its niquities
This same man-Senator Works-was the central figure
the Senate Combine which sought odsarm Lieutenan
Governor Burnquist at the beginning Of the session
George S. LOTUS who by publishing the personnel of TIL
''senate Combine" broke it up is the leading spirit
the attack the chamber of Not loving Mr.
Lotus the members of the disrupted Combine earl
determined to give his investigation of the chamber
Knockout blow.
Senator Works admitted the stand that he had
ferred with leading officials of the chamber of
club Minneapolis the day before he presented hi
resolution calling for second investigating committee
this admission may be inferred that the Senate in
7estigation less from desire to protect the
people ''than from determination to hit Mr. LOTUS