Control of Grain Trade

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, Cal. · Jan 10, 1900

Control of Grain Trade

Control of Grain Trade.—It is said that evidence presented before a sub-committee of the Industrial Commission, now in session in Chicago, "has established these facts:— (1) That the Interstate Commerce law is dead; (2) that the railroads give rebates to heavy shippers; (3) that grain warehousemen have gone out of the storage business and absolutely control the product by purchase and combination; (4) that five men in Chicago—P. D. Armour, Charles Counselman, P. B. Weare, and two others—meet every morning and fix the price to be paid farmers for grain; (5) that this price is fixed through combination with the granger railroads, which discriminate against outsiders."

The remedy offered for thus disregarding law is government ownership of railways; but would that stop it?