THE STORY OF THE NONPARTISAN LEAGUE 



When this matter was before the committee 

 of the National House of Representatives, 

 Mr. McHugh again testified about it. 



Question. — On a great many hundred cars coming to 

 Minneapolis the Chamber of Commerce has charged 

 the farmers a switchmg charge without the car being 

 switched at aU? 



Answer. — ^Yes sir. 



Q. — Isn't that crooked? 



A. — I do not think so. 



Finally it appeared that so far as the rail- 

 roads were concerned 91 per cent, of the 

 freight-cars they handled moved free of 

 switching charges and such charges were 

 imposed on but the remaining 9 per cent. 

 Testimony at page 946 of the Minnesota 

 House Committee's proceedings showed that 

 the product of the switching charge unjusti- 

 fiably levied upon the 91 per cent, of the 

 cars went to the millers and the commission 

 men. 



The investigations at Washington and St. 

 Paul had also this definite result, that they 

 removed the last shadow of uncertainty as 

 to the reason for the ceaseless activities of 

 the Chamber of Commerce to maintain every 

 existing condition in the grain trade. For 

 instance, an analysis of its membership showed 

 this rather astonishing result: 



