The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1922-12-22
RAILROADS FAVOR
ELEVATOR BUYERS

Atty. Gen. Rankin Proves That Great
Northern Instructs Employees to
Discriminate Against Farmer Snip
pers and Trackbuyers.
G. N. UNABLE TO FUR
NISH CARS FOR LIVESTOCK
Glasgow, Dec. IA public inves~
tigation was held in Glasgow Tuesday
afternoon and evening of this week,
by Attorney General Wellington ID.
Rankin and Jno. NJ. Davis, of the state
department of agriculture, in which
local grain buyers and elevator men
and others were examined under oath
regarding grain marketing conditions
here. :
The day was bitter cold and the
train bringing the investigators here
from Helena was about eight hours
late, so it was late in the afternoon
when the hearing started and an adj
journment was taken at six o'clock
for eight in the evening when the ex-
mination of witnesses was completed.
According to Attorney General
Rankin, parts of the state and espe-
cially along the Great Northern Rail
way; that railroad employees were in
structed to discriminate against indie
pendent or individual farmer shippers
and in favor of old line elevators in
the distribution of cars, which is a
direct violation Of the state and fed
eral laws.
The local agent of the Great North
ern testified on the witness stand that
he had instructions to give cars to
elevators in preference to track buy
ers or farmers shipping their own
grain, if elevators were blocked with
grain: and it was shown that elevators
could be easily kept blocked by the
railroad company supplying cars only
as fast as grain came to the elevators
after the latter were filled.
Evidence was also secured to the eff
feet that farmers have been subject
to too great a deduction in price from
what the Minneapolis price warrant
ed, and instances were cited where
good prices were paid, but the loads
were "shorted' several hundred
pounds on weights.
1t was also shown and admitted
that the local track buyer, w. M
Ruffcorn, has been responsible for {
price of &c to 15c per bushel more fol
wheat at Glasgow than the elevator
buyers would have paid if Glasgow
| did not have a track buyer, than the
average increase for the season, in ad
dition to more accurate weights. grad.
ing and dockage, has been about 81
per bushel more than the farmers
would have received If Glasgow dldn'1
have track buyer.
C. L. Marshall, living west Of Glas
gov, ordered a car to ship his grair
as soon as threshed, and when notified
of car he commenced hauling grain tt
town. The railroad gave him 48 hour.
in which to load the car with wheat; i
took him three days to- load the ca
and he was charged one days demur
rage, but up to the time of this writ
ing, Thursday, December 18th, the ca
has stood here on the track (and il
still In Glasgow yards) for about ten
days. which shows the car was no de
layed on account of loading.
| Complaints were also heard relativ
to livestock shipments, or the inabilit..
of stock raisers to get cars to shll
their stock to market.
One instance was cited where
large band of sheep were trailed t.
Hinsdale for a certain shipping dat
recently before winter sets in, an
the sheep were herded near Hins
dale for a certain shipping date re
Gently before winter set in, and tn
| ~ l~I coIo F.
about ten days until the farmers Pre-
tested regarding the damage to thel
range an water supply; then the onl
: thing to do was to trail the sheep
the nearest competitive shipping poin
1 which was Whitehall on the 500 raj
road, a distance of 155 miles, whe,
j. car application was filed one day an
the sheep loaded the following day. O
this long trip the sheep were thre
days without water which natural
deprecated their marketing value CO..
> siderably.
Another instance cited was that
n bunch of cattle were to be shippe
S from Glasgow this fall. The stos
was assembled and brought in for tt
shipping date designated, so the cor
8 plant states, and were held in tn
vicinity for As days, or until the wi
= try weather set in, and the owne
finally had to drive them back to Il
IS Missouri river to the south side al
turn them out on the range again, b
cause the stock cars did not show L
It It is reported that number
n damage claims have already been t
# ed against the railroad company, a
= the attorney general states that crin
# inal action for discrimination in allt
n ting cars to shippers will also be
v stituted by the state.
s. Attorney General Rankin express
~ great satisfaction over the results Q
: tanned in this state wide Investigate
into marketing conditions and he pl
A. dicted substantial improvement as
IF result of these Investigations.
~ Miss Fairchild of Antelope has be
. in this city for a few days this wee
II Of