Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-04-11
CASE AGAINST
STOCK EXCHANGE
COMES TO CLOSE
Much Of Alleged Discrimina.
ton Eliminated; Farmers
Union Inclined to Drop
Out Of Hearing.

Stating that many OF the causes
underlying the charges of discrimi-
nation, preferred by the Farmers
Union Live Stock Commission COM
pany against the Omaha Live Stock
exchange about 10 months ago, had
been eliminated, heads of the Farm
crs' union showed an inclination to
drop out of the hearing which was
concluded before government rep
resentatives at the exchange build
ing Thursday.
Il don't care whether the hear
ing is continued or not" said c. H.
Watt, general manager of the Farm
ers' Union Live Stock Commission
company.
I'm lspite Of the difficulties our
concern has encountered because of
opposition from members of the ex-
change we have grown so rapidly
since our establishment two years
ago that we are now the second
largest commission company on the
South Side"
The foregoing and other state
ments along the same line almost
induced government men conduct
ing the hearing to dismiss it.
John Burns, solicitor for the De-
pSrtment of Agriculture, Steven
Bray and L. D. Hall, assistants to
Charles Brand, chief of the bureau
of markets, were the government
men before whom the discrimina-
ton charges were aired.
Houston Will Decide.
Secretary Of Agriculture Houston
will render q decision in tine case
after the evidence gathered by the
three government Representatives is
submitted to him.
c. F. Gustafson, president of the
Farmers Educational and Corpora
tive State union, was the first to
testify He stated that the farm
crs' union has 10000 farmer mem
bers, and had its inception in 1918.
The Farmers Union Live Stock
Commission company, which is
sponsored by the union, was estab-
l;shed in 1917 as a cooperative prof.
ect, marketing the farmers live
stock produce at cost.
A written application for member
skip in the Omaha Live Stock ex-
change had been refused the Farm
ers union on the ground that its
methods of doing business violated
the rules of the exchange, accord
ing to Mr.. Watts, witness. The
exchange objected to the policy of
the union in prorating commission
profits back to the farmer members.
For the same reasons the union had
been refused membership to the St.
Joseph, Kansas City and other ex-
changes. At all these places, ac-
cording to Watts, the commission
firms established by the union had
shown remarkable growth despite
the opposition evinced by exchange
members.
Alleges Discrimination.
c. H. Whitney, manager of the
Omaha Farmers Union Live Stock
Commission company, gave specific
instances where the firm he repre-
scented had been Disseminated
against. Whitney stated that he was
willing to discontinue the hearing If
the charges of discrimination he had
made were admitted by exchange Of
ficials.
The rules formulated by the ex-
change were not intended to dis
criminate against anyone. They were
adopted prior to the organization OF
the Farmers union, testified A. r.
Stryker, secretary and traffic man
ager of the Omaha Live Stock ex-
change. The abolition of those rules
at the request of the Farmers Com
mission company would have an in
furious effect not only upon the pro-
Queer, but ultimately upon commits
sion man, packer and consumer alike,
he said. He read three statements
showing that three firms, all mem
bers of the exchange, had been pun
ished by fines for alleged business
relations with the Farmers Com
mission company.
Will H. Woods, president of the
Omaha exchange, and w. G. Tag
CART. former president of the local
exchange, and now chief executive
officer of the National Live Stock
zat,.,o.. ,orrohoroted Mr. Strvker