THE STORY OF THE NONPARTISAN LEAGUE 



poration could own as many memberships as 

 it pleased. 



Owner ^ Member ships 



Van Dusen-Harrington Company (grain 



handlers) 21 



Washburn - Crosby Company (millers, 



grain handlers) 24 



Big Diamond Mills 10 



Pillsbury Flour Mills Company 9 



E. S. Woodworth Company (grain) 9 



T. M. McCord Company (grain) 9 



The F. H. Peavey Company (grain) 8 



McCaul-Dinsmore Company (grain) 7 



E. L. Welch Company (grain) 7 



The Minneapolis banks 8 



Sometimes a company, as the Van Dusen 

 Company, for instance, owned memberships 

 under different names, but voted them all. 



Statements that revealed the Chamber's 

 conception of itself as a body coequal with 

 the government and not subject to investi- 

 gation were frequent at all these investiga- 

 tions. Mr. McHugh, the Chamber's secre- 

 tary, told the committee of Congress: 



The institution [Chamber of Commerce] being a 

 private corporation, there is no reason why its affairs 

 should be published at all, any more than those of any 

 other private corporation. 



At the St. Paul hearing dialogues like the 

 following were constantly occurring: 



Mr. Mercer (counsel for the Chamber). — I object 

 to the question on the ground that it is not within the 

 power of the legislature to investigate that. 



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