, 1874-02-08
force the present Warehouse law as strictly rs
possible, 80 that no receipt could be issued for
grain not actually in store here.


1SsUHAScE.
Mr.. Culvcr-HoH does that practice affect ID
surance
Mr. Warreu-H affects Insurance seriously.
Dir. Culyer-WIl you explain III what way
III. Warren-No i:sEre for cortaiu an1ouu
Of grain, based on the receipts wc hold II the
grain not in storo in case .he grain is b11rne
up; and the receipts are called In, a. in llug
Mahef's case, it IL = matter Of litigation with th
insurance companies.
an Insurance agent who represented drst-cias
Eastern companies, That the n:4.cels na1 inGuire
OF him il it was fact t:.at Cai:ago warehouse
n,ent confined the issuing Of receipt
to grain actually in s:ose,, and be toif
to take risks in Chicago elevators, his com
panlcs br the way, having Withdrawn their bus
iiless from the city for tho reason that tht
varehousencn lad Issued receipts for grais
which WIS not in store. At least it WAS so re-
ported, III less than ten dayE after no aesnret
the companies Of the fact that they were not is
6ulng. The receipts, the fact: came out nbou
Hough issuing them, and the Insurance agent
CAME to me in Grlnt state Of excitement, be.
cause Le had mislcd his companies, and sale
II will not act for any company, Tor
believe tho elevators here aro issuing receipts
for grain when they have not got ii in s:oro. ii
pal,les.
IMPROVING GRAIS-TAPER.
Mr. Warren-1he interests Of tho trado re-
1nire that gran-paper should be well secured
mud. We get the Endorsement Of the railway
compauiee. as they have in Milwaukee, it will be
vastly improved. We should also fix the liability
Of the railroads, as common caTiois, to give a
receipt for the weight and to deliver the weights
hereto tally out-and not look to the owner to
be responsible for tho shortage when the grain
arrives in New York or wherever else it goes.
SHORTAGE.
Roporer-Do YOU not think that the matter
of shortage might be covered pretty closely and
clearly if it were provided that my oyerplus that
might accrue in Cr1in warehouse Should 20 to
the State. in the same way that the Salno OF ioss
or burned National Bank notes SO into tho
United States Treasury. their value not lnurlng
to the bank issuingthom?
Nr. Warrcn-I think TINT capital idea.
1[r. Wright-Tho orerplus does not belong to
the werehousemen. The people havo better
claim to it than any one individual
Reportor-1f that were done II there were no
object in shaving, it would not be resorted to
extensively?
-ar. Varren-{es aud vessels Or cars 1oadng
at tho elevators wcrlId be- 1ikely to get Ill tho
grain that vas caued for by the receipts.
WEIGHING GRAIN.
Reporter-H that we're tho case it would not
be generally understood. US Mr. Stephen Clary
said it it, when lie testified before the Investi-
eating Committee, That the man who could
not saTc . little in handling several millions OF
bushels OF grain was not ft for the place.
and ought to be discharged" This question
of weights is at present Q mixed one. The
officers Of souo Of the railroads Eay that it would
be utterly Impossible for them to set ND scales at
every station where they receive grain for the
purpose of weighing it when delivered to them:
and they also claim, understand, that it would
be equally imp1acticable for tuem to weigh all
the grain when it is received at she warehouses
in this city.
AEr NrphA-n0 f1,ev sta.a yr1v3
Reporier-Tes; Oh account Of iho immense ex-
pense Of putting up the scales ut the way-stc-
tions and because OF tie Eindrance it would be
to their handling cars.
Mr., Wnght--Ihoy build depots and tanks and
furnish all tho necessary appliances for doing
tie business they were chartered to do that IS,
eli e1eep. i'll this case, wherein the public aro
the losers. und they tls gamers. That is the
point. They would do it If their interests de-
manded it.
MAKE THE RAILROADS WEIGH IT.
Rcporter-Does it not seem to you then, that
the only way to secure to tho grain-owner the
quantity Of grain which he sends forward is to
require the railroad companies to weigh the
grain when they receive it, and to hold them re-
aponsible tor the delivery Of tho same weights
to the person who holds the receipts when it gets
to ita destination ?
Mr.. Wright-Ihat is the key to the whole mat
ter.
Reporter-lr: Culver, please give MS your
views on this snbicct.
af1. Culyer-3Iy views upon this subject were
quite fully expressed in the recent annual report
to the members Of the Board of Trade which
presented in behulf Of the Directors You will
remember I referred to the law requiring mil
roads in this State to weigh grain received FOR
nnd deliver ,7ha. is received, and
expressed the opinion tha. the enforcement Of
The law must result in greater benefit to pro-
iucers aud business men than rhcentorcenent
of moro recent cnactmsnts relating to rail
,eon s Indirectly informed thnt the railroad off,
,ials IN this city hare had under auvisenent
. plans for complying with this Law in case the
such compliance. Their officials admitted the
ustice OF the Law, but it is not likely thoy will
comply With it until compelled to do 30 BY public
opinion or by the Commissioners. 4 prominent
elevator proprietor did, within q very few days,
ell me that he was very dcsirous to have the
lean bills Of lating-or, in other words, give re-
eipta for definite amounts OF grain and pay for
rhat was short. He entertained tho belief
hat much OF the complaint about short weights
Fas without good reason. I then asked him it
was not to be expected that US long Us busi-
less was conducted By railroads as at present,
sonest warehousenen would be accused OF re-
urning dishonest weights. He said yes and I
sant this thing put in euch shape that there can
70 no such charges. mention this from tho
act that many pGuaVG the W1rel0nGcT1Gn Are ]
ecretIy opposed to railroads adopting the GUS
ON grain-receirers aud shippere desire.
Ar. NarTon-Aad it ia question to me whe.h- |
r the railroad companies would not be the gain-
u.s. notwithstanding the expense they might DO
nut to in procuring scales, BY collecting on the
quantity Of grain received instead OF, ns il fire.
uentIy done taking certain number Of pounds
'cr car,- ,000 or 500 pounds moro than The |
tandard CARLOAD of 10000 pounds,-which thoy
arry for nothing.
Mr. Nright-:Fhat does not apply to grain un-
osdcd hcrc; it may apply to grain shipped from !
'hicago and not weighed here-shipped through |
0 Eastern points.
Mr. Warren-They collect On the elevator !
Ie!ghts hero?
AIr. Wright-Yes, except for baggcd grain
here ia some chance for fraud there. But q |
uilroad company has no business to take auv |
ind Of property, subject to the contingencies ]
( accident, especially without knowing how |
lea of it; that these scales arc just ss much |
eccsssrv appliances for the transaction OF their I
aslresB rs stasion-hougcs, and water-tanks, and |
lEEroisIB1tE ron TIE GRAIN.
Reporter-Then ought they not to be reepon-
ibla for the custody of the grim until it is
ctually delivered to the person calling for it?
alr- Wright will answer that IN this way: !
retty nearly every businessman can gee the
oint to that, bnt our Supreme Court cannot
he Hupreme Court aays that the moment the |
rain is dumped into tho elevator tho RESPONSE l.
ll;tE Of the railway company ceases and tho
eSn0nEih!ily of the rcceivcr ccE11nences not