Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1914-02-25
hits WHEAT KINGS {
MINNESOTA REPRESENTATIVE
I WANTS HOUSE BODY TO HIVES
TiGATE PRICE MANIPULATION. j
URGENT DEFICIENCY BILL UP.
Measure Supplying Deficiencies In Ap-}
preparations for Various Govern
ment Departments for Fiscal
4 Year Reported to House. Il 2s

.ss n StIf it,
Washington, Feb. 21.-One of the
most sensational attacks made In con-
Eress on the kings fot the American
wheat pit was that by Representative
Manahan of Minnesota when he intro
duced In the house on Thursday a res
olution providing for the appointment
Of q special committee to investigate
charges OF manipulation Of the price OF
wheat by unfair practices BY the Chi
cago and Duluth boards Of trade. and
the Minneapolis chamber OF com
merce. Isl i
The resolution demands that the
committee inquire whether these three
bodies exercise any unlawful re-
straint or control over the buying or
selling Of grain coming to said termi-
nal markets from Iowa, Nebraska, the
Dakotas or any other states, or over
the prices thereof" It requires in
formation also on the use OF public
warehouses. terminal elevators, mix
Ing and blending elevators, and grad
Ing facilities and all other means Of
artifoially affecting the price Of
wheat. "a 4. {l53l54
The committee shall also specifical-
" inquire. says the resolution, into
the ownership and control Of each Of
the separate memberships OF the
above organizations, the Chicago
board OF trade, the Minneapolis cham
sber of commerce and the Duluth
board Of trade, with view to pre-
venting the practices OF members of
the organizations Of selling grains con-
signed to them to subsidiary concerns
or to dummy a; "A s& Il Il
Facts discovered at any time during
the investigation which In the judg-;
ment of the committee would warrant
criminal prosecution are to be imme-
diately turned over to the attorney
general for such action as he may
deem proper. S.s. D. z i ..2
Z IT am aiming at what consider a
gigantic cinch upon the peoples
bread, = said Manahan. The men
controlling these markets and the
grading and terminal facilities are
taking toll OF from two to three
cents a bushel beyond any service
they render. AS we produced 2O0,-
200, 900 bushels of wheat In Minnesota
and the Dakotas alone, that is $4,000
900 graft, figured at two cents on a
bushel. \, I, 5 Fs n
The bulk Of the wheat crop Is in
the control of this combination. For,
every hushel OF real wheat actually
sold and handled at least 100: bushels
are both sold in so-called future trad
ing. The expense of this wheat gam
bling is borne by men tempted to.
speculate in the pit and by the buyers
Of bread. The number OF embezzle-
ments, bankruptcies and 2 wrecks
caused by camping in wheat futures
5is appalling. Congress should act at
once to remove this burden from the
tax OF bread and do away with the
whole wheat gambling traffic. #
5 The urgent deficiency appropriation
bill, supplying deficiencies in appro'
priations for the Observation-Disclosures
for the current fiscal veal, was re-
ported to the house. The bill carries
q total Of 50 1888, 1897. The largest item
in the bill is 81. 690, 900 for the Panama
canal. which Includes the work on for
tifications and submarine structures.
The postal service receives $2,659, 900,
largely for the increasing cost Of the
parcel post service. The new commits
sion on Industrial relations receives
an, appropriation OF $50, 900 and the
board OF mediation and Cancellation is
allowed $40, 900. n: .5s.i5y