Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-06-07

before we get through here today,
we will show you that we have han
died grain in Minneapolis without the
assistance OF the Minneapolis Cham.
Der of Commerce.
You men come to Bismarck, you
come to other towns, and sell grain
without joining the Commercial CLUB,
without joining the Ladies Aid, or any
organization, can't you? Why should
you not be permitted to go to Min
neapolis and handle grain there with
without joining any organization!
Should Welcome Movement. -.
And that is the principle for which
the Society of Equity contends, that
Minneapolis, st. Paul, or any other
city, should welcome the farmers
movement and should permit the
grain business to be carried on with.
out any private organization such as
the Minneapolis Chamber of Com
merce: What we are fighting for is
a market down there that should be
controlled by the government. You
cannot go to Minneapolis and sell a
bushel of wheat to any of the Min
neapolis millers. Why? Because
they claim that they do not want to
buy from others unless they are mem.
bers of that Chamber of Commerce.
If they did it would break up their
organization. 1t refused to admit us
in the first place because we were a
farmers organization and because we
would not knuckle down and obey
their resolution. No member shall OF
fer, for Minneapolis shipment, a price
higher than the price made on the
floor Of the Minneapolis Chamber OF
Commerce.
Able to Control Prices.
What does that mean? 1t means
by that very rule that they are able
to concentrate the price making pow.
er right on the moor of the Chamber
of Commerce. The Alfred Dickson
company, a few years ago, needed
seed fax. They could not get it at
the price prevailing on the floor of
the Chamber of Commerce and went
out into the country and paid more
for fax than was paid by the Cham.
Der of Commerce. For the first Of
Tense they were fined $1,000, and for
the second offense they lost their
membership.
Now, gentlemen, why should they
be permitted to have control of the
grain market and then enforce a rule
that none of their members should
be permitted to go out into the cOun-
try and compete with that market?
Detrimental to Grain Growers.
When they enforce a rule like that
they are enforcing a rule that is det-
rimental to the grain growers of the
northwest. We are asking for the
Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce
to be placed under government super
vision. Is there anything radical
about that. Have not all corporations
of this country been placed under
some government supervision? The
railroads have, the insurance com.
panies have, and the bankers have,
and SO are the elevator companies.
Now, why not place the boards of
trade there, also? According to the
laws of Minnesota, the Minneapolis
Chamber of Commerce is permitted
to set up a little court for the pur-
pose of trying their members. They
may issue s%ubjoenas. It can compel
witnesses to appear, to give testi.
mOny. They may administer oaths,
and an oath, administered by a mem.
Der of the Minneapolis Chamber OF
Commerce has the same effect as that
administed by any official of the state.
Gentlemen, you cannot have compe-
tition under such conditions as those.
Political Matters.
Now. someone has asked where we
stand on political matters. / want to
say here that the Society of Equity
is not in politics. 1T is not a. politi-
cal organization. Candidates will
come to us and say, here, cannot you
do this for us? Can you do this for
us? And we say, No, we are not
boosting for anyone. And anybody
that says we are is mistaken. He is
not representing the sentiment of the
Society of Equity, because we have
not endorsed any candidacy of any
man. SO please bear that in mind. We
believe. however, in calling the roll,
and when a candidate comes out
whom we believe is opposed to the
principles for which we stand, we tell
the people what we think of him, or
what we know.
Asking Candidates.
We believe in asking these candi-
dates questions and having them an
ser them. We have asked Mr.. Young
certain questions, which, up to this
time. he has not answered. Last win.
ter, Mr.. Manahan of Minneapolis, con-
gresham at large of Minnesota, in
troduced a resolution in congress,
Young's Position. Z
providing for the investigation of the
grain exchanges of the country. Now,
this investigation was very essential.
wanted the people to know the
conditions as they existed in these
terminal markets. And for this rea-
son, we had to have an investigation.
Now. Mr.. Manahan's resolution was
referred to the committee on rules in
the house of representatives, and that
held preliminary hearings
on the resolution. We sent a commit
tee of farmers to Washington to ap,
pear before the committee in favor OF
the Manahan resolution. A number
OF congressman appeared before that
committee and stated they were in
favor Of that investigation. l have
here, the hearings of the rules COM