Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Montana Trade Commission records, 1937-1973
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Montana Trade Commission
- Title
- Montana Trade Commission records
- Dates
- 1937-1973 (inclusive)19371973
- Quantity
- 6 linear feet of shelf space
- Collection Number
- RS 104
- Summary
- These Montana Trade Commission records (1919, 1937-1973) consists of documents for the Board of Railroad Commissioners and the State Board of Food Distributors in their capacity ex officio as the Montana Trade Commission. Records include general correspondence, filed alphabetically by correspondent, subject, and town; records of public hearings; and a gasoline price survey.
- Repository
-
Montana Historical Society, Library & Archives
Montana Historical Society Research Center Archives
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT
59620-1201
Telephone: 4064442681
Fax: 4064445297
mhslibrary@mt.gov - Access Restrictions
-
Collection open for research.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Historical NoteReturn to Top
The original Montana Trade Commission was formed in 1919 as an ex officio body of the Board of Railroad Commissioners to regulate public mills. Later that same year the extraordinary session of the legislature gave the Montana Trade Commission the added responsibility of regulating prices of commodities and food. When the extreme inflation of 1919 passed, this responsibility was removed from the Commission.
The 1937 state legislature passed the "Unfair Practices Act" to bar the advertisement and sale of goods at below their cost and the pricing of goods at different rates in different areas of the state. The purpose of the act was to "safeguard the public against the creation or perpetuation of monopolies and to foster and encourage competition, by prohibiting unfair and discriminatory practices by which fair and honest competition is destroyed or prevented." The law was deemed necessary because "the sale at less than cost of goods obtained at forced, bankrupted, close out, and other sales outside of the ordinary channels of trade is destroying healthy competition." In 1939 the Board of Railroad Commissioners, ex officio Montana Trade Commission, was given the duty of carrying out this law. Elaborate procedures for complaints, cost surveys, and hearings were established.
The Montana State Board of Food Distributors was established by Chapter 49 of the 1939 Laws to regulate the quality of foods, inspect places of sale, and license food distributors. The Board consisted of three members, all of whom were to be practicing food distributors, nominated by the Montana State Food Distributors Association and appointed by the governor. In 1943 the State Board of Food Distributors became ex officio the Montana Trade Commission and took over all of its functions.
In 1971 the State Board of Food Distributors was renamed the Montana Board of Trade and came under the new Department of Business Regulation. The following year the Board was renamed the Trade Regulation Division.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This collection documents the Board of Railroad Commissioners and the State Board of Food Distributors in their capacity as ex officio the Montana Trade Commission. The Commission was only concerned with trade and price regulation, not the sanitary and inspection functions of the Board of Food Distributors. The records reflect this.
From 1937 to 1962 the Montana Trade Commission maintained a General Correspondence file with letters filed alphabetically by correspondent, by subject, and by town. Since these overlap, the researcher should look in any which might be relevant. For example, a problem with use of coupons by Buttrey Foods in Butte, might be filed under "Coupons", "Buttrey Foods, Inc.", or "Butte." The largest portion of the correspondence deals with complaints against local retailers and the Commission's investigations and negotiations to resolve the complaints. From 1963 to 1973 this system of filing was changed to a straight chronological system. There is also a small series of Interoffice Correspondence.
The second major series is Hearings, which consists of docket files for public hearings conducted by the Commission. The Commission maintained several numbering systems for dockets which can be confusing. For major topical hearings the form was "#1-50" for the first hearing of 1950. These topical hearings deal with proposed regulations and general pricing policy. For hearings on individual violations of regulations the dockets were simply numbered consecutively, starting with #1 in 1947 and running through #205 in 1972. There is a gap from #188 through #204. These dockets have not been itemized in this inventory, since they are useful primarily for their documentation of the functioning of the agency rather than for the information about a specific retailer.
The third major series of the records are Subject Files from a gasoline price survey conducted in 1955-1956. This segment includes correspondence, survey forms, complaints against oil companies, hearing records, freight tariffs, and related material. The study was used as a model by many other states.
In addition the collection contains Court Records from three court cases (1949-1950); Financial Records (1939-1965), including auditor's reports, budget information, a journal and ledger, and voucher distribution records; Minutes (1939-1960) and agenda (1971); reports (1967-1968); and Miscellany, including lists of licenses issued and lists of food distributors arranged by county.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical Society. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collection. In some cases permission for use may require additional authorization from the copyright owners. For more information contact an archivist.
Preferred Citation
Item description and date. Collection Title. Collection Number. Box and Folder numbers. Montana Historical Society Research Center, Archives, Helena, Montana.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
General Correspondence Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1 / 1 | Associated Merchants of Montana |
1939 |
| 1 / 2 | Auto supplies |
1937-1941 |
| 1 / 3 | A (correspondents include Rita May Albano, Charles H.
Amos, Anaconda Copper Mining Company, Edward B. Anderson, J.R. Anderson, Milton G.
Anderson, Associated Industries of Billings Montana, Austad Grocery) |
1939-1964 |
| 1 / 4 | Billings |
1949-1957 |
| 1 / 5 | Edwin W. Briggs, Montana State University, Missoula |
1960 |
| 1 / 6 | Butte |
1949-1956 |
| 1 / 7 | Buttrey Foods, Inc. |
1939-1953 |
| 1 / 8 | B (correspondents include Dick Bardon, Phil Beckwith,
Benner Glass Company, J.V Bennett, Henry J. Bison Jr., O.L. Brackman) |
1939-1964 |
| 1 / 9 | Civic Association of America |
1946, 1949 |
| 1 / 10 | Coupons |
1937-1951 |
| 1 / 11 | Creameries |
1939-1941 |
| 1 / 12 | Credit Bureau of Miles City / Eastern Montana
Collection Agency |
1964-1965 |
| 1 / 13 | C (correspondents include Robert M. Catlin,
Chuckwagon Café, Columbus Cash Meat Market, Commercial Bulletin, Conrad Creamery,
County Fair Market) |
1950-1963 |
| 1 / 14 | Discrimination (in prices between towns) |
1938-1939 |
| 1 / 15 | D - E (correspondents include Deeks Inc., Demers
Mercantile Company, E.G. James Company) |
1945-1959 |
| 1 / 16 | Fair Trade law |
1942-1959 |
| 1 / 17 | Flour |
1937-1949 |
| 1 / 18 | F (correspondents include Farmers Union Central
Exchange, Federation of Nebraska Retailers, Fitzsimmons Stores Inc., Fleming's
Wholesale, Foreign Enterprises, E. Rod Fuchs) |
1952-1958 |
| 1 / 19 | Glendive |
1939-1958 |
| 1 / 20 | Grass Range |
1939 |
| 1 / 21 | Great Falls |
1949-1961 |
| 1 / 22 | G (correspondents include Gallatin Farmers Company,
Gamble Stores Inc., Glacier Park Company) |
1941-1968 |
| 1 / 23 | Hamilton |
1937-1951 |
| 1 / 24 | Hardin |
1939-1958 |
| 1 / 25 | Harlowton |
1941-1950 |
| 1 / 26 | Havre |
1937-1959 |
| 1 / 27 | Helena |
1939-1951 |
| 1 / 28 | H - J (correspondents include Donald G. Halper,
Heisey Company, Simon J. Heller, Home Trading Company, James E. Jefferis) |
1950-1958 |
| 1 / 29 | Kalispell |
1938-1959 |
| 1 / 30 | K (correspondents include KGIR, Kenneth V. Kemp) |
1943-1952 |
| 1 / 31 | Laurel |
1937-1960 |
| 1 / 32 | Lewistown |
1937-1959 |
| 1 / 33 | Libby |
1949-1960 |
| 1 / 34 | Livingston |
1937-1957 |
| 1 / 35 | Lodge Grass |
1940-1959 |
| 1 / 36 | L (correspondents include Laundry Workers, Cleaners
and Dyers Local 682; Henry A. Leslie; Robert C. Line; Lipton's Tea; E.C. Lorentzen) |
1937-1958 |
| 1 / 37 | Malta |
1941 |
| 1 / 38 | Martinsdale |
1957 |
| 1 / 39 | Miles City |
1939-1956 |
| 1 / 40 | Missoula |
1948-1960 |
| 1 / 41 | Missoula Mercantile |
1939-1952 |
| 1 / 42 | Montana Attorney General |
1937-1951 |
| 1 / 43 | Montana Governor |
1940-1965 |
| 1 / 44 | Montana State Board of Examiners |
1943-1958 |
| 1 / 45 | Montana State Board of Food Distributors circulars |
1949 |
| 1 / 46 | Montana State Controller |
1952-1961 |
| 1 / 47 | Montana State Food Distributors Association, Inc. |
1940-1941, 1953-1967 |
| 1 / 48 | Moore |
1950 |
| 1 / 49 | M (correspondents include Betty Madland, Markus
Grocery, Martha Martin, McClintock-Trunkey Company, Minnesota Trade Promotion
Division, Montana Chain Stores Council Inc., Montana State Food Distributors
Association Inc., Montana Commission on Reorganization of State Government, Montana
Historical Society, Montana Legislative Assembly, Montana Legislative Council, Montana
Public Employees Retirement System, Montana State Press Association, Montana State
Treasurer, Vernon A. Mund, James E. Murphy, Museum Lunch Room) |
1945-1961 |
| 1 / 50 | National Federation of Independent Business |
1958 |
| 1 / 51 | Neihart |
1958 |
| 1 / 52 | New York |
1955-1957 |
| 1 / 53 | George Niewoehner |
1955-1958 |
| 1 / 54 | N - O (correspondents include Northwestern Bottling
Works, Occident Elevator, oleomargerine licenses, Olney Motors, Oregon Independent
Retail Grocers Association Inc., Janet O'Toole) |
1943-1962 |
| 1 / 55 | Philipsburg |
1937-1938 |
| 1 / 56 | Photographers |
1938-1950, 1959 |
| 1 / 57 | Plains |
1939 |
| 1 / 58 | Plentywood |
1939-1959 |
| 1 / 59 | Polson |
1938-1958 |
| 1 / 60 | Publicity |
1937, 1941 |
| 1 / 61 | P (correspondents include Nicholas Pantelas,
Pay-N-Save, Proctor and Gamble Distributing Company, Mrs. James K. Prosser) |
1946-1959 |
| 1 / 62 | Red Owl stores |
1939-1953 |
| 1 / 63 | Redstone |
1941-1956 |
| 1 / 64 | R.H. (Ty) Robinson |
1956-1960 |
| 1 / 65 | Ronan |
1939-1957 |
| 1 / 66 | Roundup |
1939-1956 |
| 1 / 67 | William Rowe, Safeway Stores, Inc. ("Roe's Crying
Towel") |
1952 |
| 1 / 68 | R (correspondents include Remington Arms Company,
Helen H. Ruggles, Ruthrauff and Ryan Inc., Ryan-Havre Company) |
1943-1959 |
| 1 / 69 | Saco |
1940-1961 |
| 1 / 70-71 | Safeway Stores, Inc. |
1939-1960 |
| 1 / 72 | Scobey |
1947-1960 |
| 1 / 73 | Shelby |
1939-1961 |
| 1 / 74 | Sidney |
1939-1960 |
| 1 / 75 | Stamps (re trade stimulation stamps; e.g. green
stamps) |
1950-1959 |
| 1 / 76 | S (correspondents include Lyle Schoenrock, T.H.
Smith, Super Save Market, Superior Coach Sales) |
1946-1958 |
| 1 / 77 | Thompson Falls |
1937-1957 |
| 1 / 78 | Tobacco |
1947-1955 |
| 1 / 79 | Turner |
1940 |
| 1 / 80 | Two Dot |
1957 |
| 1 / 81 | T (correspondents include Texas Attorney General,
Toomey and Hughes, Tri Chem Liquid Embroidery) |
1955-1958 |
| 1 / 82 | Unfair Practices Act |
1946-1952 |
| 1 / 83-84 | U.S. Office of Price Administration |
1944, 1951-1952 |
| 1 / 85 | U - W (correspondents include Union Pacific Railroad
Company, U.S. Federal Trade Commission, U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Antitrust and
Monopoly, C.M. Updegraff, Utah Dept. of Business Regulation, Utah Legislative Council,
Valley Meat Market, Victory Food Market, Washington Attorney General, Washington
Tobacco Bureau Inc., wholesale distributors) |
1939-1960 |
| 2 / 1 | Whitefish |
1937-1960 |
| 2 / 2 | Whitehall |
1939-1950 |
| 2 / 3 | White Sulphur Springs |
1940-1962 |
| 2 / 4 | Wholesale grocers |
1937-1951 |
| 2 / 5 | Wolf Point |
1939-1950 |
| 2 / 6 | Circular letters to grocers |
1949-1960 |
| 2 / 7-12 | Miscellaneous (includes log of activities) |
1963-1973 |
Interoffice Correspondence Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2 / 13 | Board members |
1939-1960 |
| 2 / 14 | Memos from Dan L. Rice, investigator, to Harold
Pitts, director, re meetings with business people |
1973 |
Court Papers Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2 / 15 | W. C. Brown and Harold Hagen v. Department of
Agriculture, Labor and Industry, State of Montana, et al. (re Dairy Queen) |
1950 |
| 2 / 16 | Montana Food Distributors Association v. E. E.
Millikan (re below cost sales) |
1949-1950 |
| 2 / 17 | State of Montana, ex rel O. L. Brackman, et al v. E.
E. Millikan (continuation of Dockets 77, 80, 81) |
1949-1950 |
Financial Records Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2 / 18 | Auditor's reports |
1941-1946 |
| 2 / 19 | Budget information |
1956-1960 |
| 2 / 20 | Journal and ledger |
1939-1940 |
| 2 / 21 | Travel expense log (includes brief account of purpose
of trip) |
1960-1961 |
| Volume | ||
| 1-3 | Voucher distribution: Montana Trade Commission |
1943-1957 |
| 4-5 | Voucher distribution: State Board of Food
Distributors |
1941-1965 |
Hearings - Topical Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2 / 22 | Docket #709 (re operation of public mills) |
1919 |
| 2 / 23 | Docket #3131 (re tobacco jobbers cost survey) |
1939 |
| 2 / 24 | Docket #1-47: application of Ravalli, Missoula,
Sanders, Flathead, and Lincoln counties retail grocers for cost survey |
1947 |
| 2 / 25 | Docket #2-47: application of Helena area retail
grocers for cost survey |
1947-1949 |
| 2 / 26 | Docket #3-47: application of Glacier, Toole, Liberty,
Hill, Blaine, Pondera, Teton, Chouteau, Cascade, Meagher, Judith Basin Fergus, and
Petroleum counties retail grocers for cost survey |
1946-1947 |
| 2 / 27 | Docket #4-47: application of Wheatland, Golden
Valley, Musselshell, Rosebud, Sweet Grass, Stillwater, Yellowstone, Treasure, Carbon,
and Big Horn counties grocers for cost survey |
1947 |
| 2 / 28 | Docket #1-49: application of Phillips, Valley,
Daniels, Sheridan, and Roosevelt counties grocers for cost survey |
1949 |
| 2 / 29 | Docket #2-49: application of wholesale tobacco
distributors for cost survey |
1949-1950 |
| 2 / 30 | Docket #1-50: wholesale grocers cost survey |
1950 |
| 2 / 31 | Docket #1-52: retail drug cost survey |
1952 |
| 2 / 32 | [no number]: application for statewide retail cost
survey |
1970 |
Hearings - Individual Cases Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2 / 33 | Dockets #5-10 |
1947 |
| 3 / 1-2 | Dockets #11-23 |
1947-1948 |
| 3 / 3 | Dockets #24-25: Joe Matteucci and Son |
1948 |
| 3 / 4 | Dockets #26-29 |
1948 |
| 3 / 5 | Docket #30: Unfair Practices Act conferences relating
to alleged unfair and discriminatory practices in the wholesale distribution of
groceries, food stuffs, and tobacco |
1948 |
| 3 / 6-14 | Dockets #31-67, 70-76, 78-79 |
1948-1949 |
| 3 / 15 | Dockets #77, 80, 81: State Board of Food Distributors
v. E. E. Millikan |
1949 |
| 3 / 16 | Dockets #82-84, 86, 88-89 |
1949-1950 |
| 3 / 17 | Dockets #90-94, 96: Missoula cases |
1950 |
| 3 / 18-19 | Dockets #95, 97-102 |
1950-1952 |
| 3 / 20 | Dockets #103: Safeway Stores, Inc. |
1955 |
| 3 / 21-25 | Dockets #104-110, 112-33, 135-150 |
1955-1961 |
| 3 / 26-30 | Dockets #151-187, 205 |
1961-1972 |
| 3 / 31 | Procedures for hearing |
undated |
| 3 / 32-33 | Orders on dockets (includes #3072-3974, 3081,
3130-3131, 3141-3147, 3151, 3254, 3333) |
1939-1940 |
Minutes Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4 / 1 | Agenda |
1971 |
| 4 / 2 | Board of Railroad Commissioners, ex officio Montana
Trade Commission; Board of Food Distributors, ex officio Montana Trade Commission |
1939-1948 |
| 4 / 3 | Board of Food Distributors, ex officio Montana Trade
Commission |
1939-1960 |
News Releases Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4 / 4 | Press releases |
1954-1955 |
Photographs Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4 / 5 | List of photographs separated to the Photo Archives |
Reports Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4 / 6 | Monthly activity report by Dan L. Rice, secretary |
1967-1968 |
Subject Files - Gasoline Price Survey Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4 / 7 | Correspondence |
1955-1960 |
| 4 / 8 | Board of Railroad Commissioners, docket #4311, W.L.
Felix v. William J. Wolfe and Community Gad and Oil Company |
1955 |
| 4 / 9 | Bulk or wholesale dealer questionnaire: Alzada Garage
- Continental Oil Company |
1955 |
| 4 / 10 | Bulk or wholesale dealer questionnaire: Danvers
Farmers Oil Company - Farmers Union Trading Company |
1955 |
| 4 / 11 | Bulk or wholesale dealer questionnaire: Fort Benton
Motor Company - Stoners Service Station |
1955 |
| 4 / 12 | Bulk or wholesale dealer questionnaire: Texas Oil
Company - Zent Hardware Company |
1955 |
| 4 / 13 | City / county offices questionnaire |
1956 |
| 4 / 14 | Complaint before ICC of Wyoming and Montana PSC |
1956 |
| 4 / 15 | Complaint v. oil companies before attorney general |
1956 |
| 4 / 16 | Great Falls hearing |
1956 |
| 4 / 17 | Helena hearing [incomplete] |
1956 |
| 4 / 18-19 | Petroleum freight tariffs: B - J |
1941-1956 |
| 4 / 20 | Petroleum freight tariffs: Northern Pacific Railway
Company |
1947-1956 |
| 4 / 21 | Petroleum freight tariffs: Northern Tank Line |
1954-1956 |
| 4 / 22 | Petroleum freight tariffs: O - Y |
1953-1955 |
| 4 / 23 | Preliminary report |
1956 |
| 4 / 24 | Continental Oil Company lease (sample) |
1953-1955 |
| 4 / 25 | Clarence Ryan v. The California Company, et al. (re
reduction in gas prices and retaliation by company) |
1956 |
| 4 / 26 | Clippings |
1955 |
| 4 / 27 | Miscellaneous |
1956 |
Clippings Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4 / 28 | Fair Trade Ineffective |
1971 |
Miscellany Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4 / 29 | Consumer complaints |
1973 |
| 4 / 30 | Delinquent tax notices |
1941-1972 |
| 4 / 31 | Governor's Committee on Reorganization and Economy
questionnaire |
1941 |
| 5 / 1 | Great Falls petition to enforce Unfair Practices Act |
1965 |
| 5 / 2-5 | List of food distributors (by county) |
1938-1947 |
| 5 / 6 | Other states' laws (includes notations) |
1936-1955 |
| 5 / 7 | Rules and regulations; procedural manuals; etc. |
undated |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Consumer protection--Montana
- Grocery trade--Montana
- Petroleum industry and trade--Montana
- Price regulation--Montana
- Trade regulation--Montana
Geographical Names
- Montana--Politics and government
Finding aid prepared by Ellie Arguimbau, 1987
2006
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
