The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1875-04-08

We quote an interesting article on the
subject Of shortage from late number OF
the N. Y. Sun:
The Western merchant may ship cargo OF
Grain which, before starting, measures 6UO
bushels. Wnenit reaches the receiver in New I
York it shows shortage OF from ~ 10 oO
bushels. All this loss falls upon the seller,
deprives him OF his profit, and leads him to
choose other markets for his produce: AS soon
as a cargo arrives at the depot IN ne" 1oIA'
the cars, one by one, are drawn over the scales,
WEIGHED, and the amount noted by an inspec-
tor who is in the employ of the buyer, and Is
responsible to no one for his honest or accurate
| measurements After the grain is weighed,
spout is placed in the car, and the cargo Is dls.
to The buyer.
CAREIEssNEss AND DISHONESTY.
I Little care is taken in this process
and bushels of grain are Gifted dumped,
into the river or scattered on the piers
and rendered worthless. Much OF this work
is done at night, and abundant Opport unity Is
offered for stealing. As soon as Car has been
discharged, it is taken off at once to make
J, room tor another. Here is another opportu-
many OF the cars that are said to be emptleo
l contain from one to five or six bushels o.
swee pings. which 90 to the profit of the light
-. ers or railroad men. Some of the canal cap
tains, who are employed by the lighters to de
f liver grain, openly accuse their employers 0
dishonesty. and assert that the man who re
turns from the discharge Of his cargo with tn
largest amount of sweepings, on his deck AM
20 in the hold, is treated with the greatest con
~ sideration and receives the most employment
o The dealers say that still another opportunlt
is for dishonesty remissness in duty Is offerec
After the cargo has been transferred to the ca
II nal boat. it is taken to the buyer, and hoa
'. ing elevator is employed to weigh, blov
: screen and discharge it. For all this work
~ cents per bushel is charged, a price whic
r. dealers saw should be reduced to less than tn
&c cents.
FL costing about so, 900, is enabled to pay +
Sc itself In sir or seuen months. The largest ei
-, yators can unload three boats, or "a 600 bus
Ill els a day In the screening and weighing pr
"a. cesses there is no one who is responsible to
owners of the cargoes to see that honest, cal
on add that the lighter men and the owners
,,+ elevators enrich themselves in this business
a very few years.
W RuNoUs SHORTAGES.
led Dealers say that the loss Of twenty or thu
ter bushels OF grain in a cargo IS no uncomn
thing on railway lines. One merchant s.
lay that on five car loads of grain tina, were ship
nal to him by producer in the Northwest. IN
Ie was shortage Of 1O7 bushels.
II Some commission merchants openly acc
ght the lighters nd the roilroad officials OF ma
&c tanning system of swindling, and that all
>, workmen engaged in delivering cargoes ar
on collision. Several suits have been institr
one to recover large shortages. and most OF Il
have been privately settled. Merchants b
are declared in the Produce Exchange that t
would willingly expend thousands OF dollar
moi break up the present management: IN the
livery of grain.
pos The other day, in the Common l.
nor Court of Hennepin county, George
ieo Christian & Co., the great millers of
oers neapolis. recovered judgment agalns
all NJ. lie Due, railroad agent on the ID.
'rats R. R., for $4,000 for shortage" on
INTO cral car loads of wheat. We have
t the learned the circumstances. but we
d the these facts as We find them II
'rant Minneapolis papers. Four hun
first bushels shortage on several car 10
cence is something astounding; and that
T that when LIE Due was buying for the mi