, 1873-09-04
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US to tho conclusion that tho proper nA1no fe
"siealago." aud not " shortage"
::rhore arc numerous eases Of this cxorbitan.
difference IN Weights, and, unlcsa romedy IL
toundt munt destroy all confidence In tho grain
bnanens OF your city,. In fact we alippors can't
es,nd @ II q i takoa moro than or niafgina.
Now, Mr. Editor, can't you en1ighten 11B on
this subject, aud, II poBslblo. toll liz whore tho
blame Lies, and who gets tho benont Of this
go,-cortainly margin of flyo to twenty
bushels por @ osr iH q fat takc for somebody
grain thore7 Is 1t undor tho control Of tho ole-
yator mon, or Railroad Company, or jointly =.
and WHO a1id what kind Of n man does tho weigh-
ing Iaorp Is sorrow loose somowhero, nnd
handsome profit at tho expense Of grain ahlp-
;pors:. Thoro has always boon . larger " short-
ago on grain aent to Chicago than othor pointe,
put recently It's proportions arc becoming Heri-
have no ill-wil towards Chicago, but think
hor boat intoroBts arc suhscrved by correcting
A SnrrrEn.
sxrr. i, 1873.
ANswEn-Our correspondent slightly over
states tho chse, though hc can scarcely Wish too
strongly that tho owl be abolished. Wo do not
bollovo that tho shortage has boon any creator
In Chicago for Hono time past than in any othor
Tho causes Of shortage aro various. First, wo
may note leakage by shaking on tho journey,
which ought to DO smnll, considering tho por-
fection OF modern car-buildtng. Secondly, there
Is the loss BY Hpilling, in loading and unload
there is not infroquontly loss Of weight Il,
drying on tho road, tho grain parting with .
ing on the track BY tho A1nbs who arc
ever on tho lookout for chance.
tho bottom (from bolow) and "baggod several
buehols from single car. They do not always
stop to plug up tho holo, and thero Ia atf fur
thor losH. AL those things are independent Of
Ing at each end Of the Journey.
=, The Weighing Of grain received In our elevators
house propriotors. but tho process IL as
nearly automatic az possible, the scale botng
flow Of grain tho instant tho scale
begins to turn. Those scales aro constructed on
oorroot principles, set accurately, and nro occa-
aionally tcstod by other parties whom requested
by tho ownera Of tho grain that paagos through
them. Wo cannot aver Of our own knowledge
TINT they a1o always right but havo nover heard
OF q case In which they havo beon altered to an
Important e1tent az the result OF inspection. OF
COURSE 1t Is not at all impossible for inattontiyo
employees to make mistakes with those scales,
and It is also possible that they may make inten-
tional mistakes in tho interest Of their omploy-
orr; 1t is not probable that they receive orders
The Way In which tho Weighing Of grain is con-
ducted In tho country ia probably known better
by Shipper" than BY ourselves. Assuming 1t
to 10 honeat md accurate In all casos, 1T both
onds OF tho Journey thero is still room for short
ago from tho causoa above mentioned. II 1t be
case, that caso will probably cause trouble. Tho
matter te ono OF such grave Importance that 1t
Moods q full Investigation, and we aro glnd TO
note that tho Chicago, Burlington i Quincy
Railroad have nndertaken to find out where tho
glad to know that tho mhnaremenfs If nthar