Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-01-31

There are few branches Of business that
afford so many opportunities for the COM
mission Of: legal frauds a. the grain
trade. Some seasons give more favorable
opportunities than Others, and IL is nov
well established facS that whenever the
whea, crop Of the country is irregular 10
quality, and partly or almos, ent'rf'y u"iei>
ior4,ed, the "scalpeis" come IL ana pursue
q systematic course OF plunder WIN 'Hpu-
,;,y r.. .,honsst farme-, whom we aa
me 50 much at distance, carefully bags
~. what tlaefne poorer quality Of era n
/, tho m,dese of,hc sack than IL TO be found
., ,i,herg.hc top or bottom. The interior
vr..n d,s er, who knows perfectly well that
AZ i. the intention Of the farmer to cheat
him, makes an Offset, by cheating in the
weight. Sometimes the farmes gets the
start, but In the long run the advantage 10
with the b0ysr, because he understands the
tricks OF the trade better. The interior
dealer, in order TO swell his profits. doctors
his grain 90 that when II reaches Chicago
he may circumvsnt the inspector and the
warehouseman. Car loads Of wheat are
plugged" TO use technical term, with
scrspings Of oats, rye, barley, and other
stuff, for which the shipper, il he succeeds
/
prices. The railroads, which are directly
or indirectly associated With the elevators
understands the game. and refuse to give q
specific receipt for grain shipped in bulk
tie bill Of lading merely specifying so many
bushels, more or less. The country shipper
invariably says less. after the ain has
been received in store and the account oil
sales returned. The warehousemen know
nothing of the leak the railroads know
nothing of the leak. and the shortage ia at
trlbuied 10 cracks in the bottom OF this
cars. The shi, pers seeks IN vain for 1
remedy. The railroad agent will not give
him n specific receipt for the grain shipped
in bulk, and the wsrehoasemen will max,
no restitution. claiming the grain rcccipieC
for by him was all that came out Of the car
Sometimes the shipper, in his eagerhess &
beat the Inspector, overdoes the plugging,
and the wheat which he expected woulc
pass as Mo. 9, only goes at rejected Thi
of course, raises howl. The shipper in
sists tha, the grain he shipped was excel
lent in quality, and ought readily to pass .
"No. q" instead Of rejected. lie inveigh
loudly against the inspector, who, ut sat
distance, preserves his equanimity. nm,
knows nothing Of the trouble he has raised
There is vet another link in the chain. -
Tho reimbursement, who claim that thu
profits of "cevating' are not commensurate
with the capital employed, speculate OF
their own account IL has been CHARGE
that large purchases OF rejected wheat hav,
been made by brokers, in behslfof the ware
housemcn, who are at the same time liberia
sellers Of No .. Some are uncharitabl,
enough to say that this taking in poor and
putting out good grain is the result OF
continued and vigorous application Of smu
machines and tanning mills, which, il pc
rused for . sufficient time. would be profit
abe. both to the warchouaemen and tn,
railroads, or railroad officers, who refuse I,
take grain TO any other elevation. A littl
more than year ago, this "doctorng' an,
scalpins" OF grain, resulting from the i'm
; ftrior crop Of 500, created no little excite
ment in grain circles. The Board Of Trad
demanded that inspectors should be place,
in the warehouses, for the express purpose
of arreslng any 'scalping," but for som,
time the warehousemen refused TO acced
to the proposition. Subsequently thsJ
yielded 10 the public demand, and Ill,
Board was allowed TO place inspectors in tn
houses. This for n time hushed oil com
plants in rtgard to "scalping" in store
Lattcrly, however, tho inspectors seen
TO have became dcrelict IN their du
ties, as both millers aud shipper
{ complain that the grain delivered /
them IS no. the grain called for in tie re
ccipss issued 10y the warehousemcn. A no,
able instance of this kind occurred fe,
days since rejecting no credit ON the hon
l esty OF the warehouseman
/ The Eastern shippers complain that car
zoe, Of grain never hold out on arrival Q
Builtlo, but fall short from twenty-five I
one hundred bushels. Whether The short
? age is the result of n swindlc here or ut Blu
/ iaio, it Is difficult TO say. The instances
cunning over" are OF course. never hear
, OF.
The spectators Who work CORNERS,
and bull and bear the market 10 suit the
Q interests, also have complaints to max,
, but as they are not deemed to represent m
legitimate trade, they get little atienii
paid TO their complaints. Thei. operation
are none too honest. and. il they get bea
Q en-, II Is altogether in their line. Toe
e aver that at times the warehonsemen iss,
to-yus receipts. 10y means Of which the maj
kct IS broken down after they have almo
cDrnered il. Whether this DC SO or not, v
have no means Of knowing, but on the who
we think il quite likely
These facts. charges, sugmiSes and snsp
cions show that, AZ at present conducie,
the gram trade 81 the northwest is demon
ah1ed. Ii aboands in abuses which We
and cettana every homes, dealer, and inili,
gtea, harm upon cur city. W. think III
question Is proper one for our legislator
20 consider, aud we are in favor 81 lesisl,
tive cnactncnts whereby these evils sAg
he mi'igated. if not entirely removed.
Firs;-Ict the legislature pass a law con
polling all railroads 10 give specific receil
Tor the number OF pounds OF grain shippe
n bulk. This will! determine where III
leakage is, if there be any.
second Compel the railroads to deliyc
gram at amy warehouse specified by tn
shippers, if there be railroad track to il
whether the same belong 70 it or any othe
railroad. his will break down the monope
ly that now exits. and open up the elevate
business to competition.
Thrd-Adcpt uniform grade of inspcc
ton throughout the State, making weigh
one Of the essentials, and taking for basi
the grades adopted by our Boa d Of Trad,
which may be vested with discretionar
power TO change the same when the natur
and condition Of the crop demands it.
Fourth-Requirc the railroad agents, wh
receipt for the grain loaded on the cars, I
specify the grade in the receipt.
IL legislation can reach the evils com
planned of, that is the way to do it, and n
honest man can object to such law.
The Lucky MAN who Drew IN,
Opera House.