The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1876-03-30

The Wheat Grazing Bill as Viewed IN the
Light Of Practical Experience Weights
Enc Elevator Inconvenience,
HARRISON MINI March 1876
.4ntt- Non0pol1St.

HARRISON. MINI. March, 1876.
:, Editor .4,att- KonopollSt.
The farmers ofthis state owe you a
debt of gratitude TOR Introducing that
| bill on the grading OF wheat and ii it
mad passed your name could have gone
down to posterity among the benetactors
| of the age. To snow you how wheat is
1 graded and grain houses run III this
i county, | will state some facts.
The Inspector at each grain house
uses his own Judgment in the grading /,
he has his instructions, but he can live
up to them or not as he pleases, his
Judgment may be poor, as has been the
case in this county, most generally.
have had clean Scotch Fife wheat graded
No. >, a sample Of which was afterwards
sent to the Inspector under instructions
from the railroad landing to the State
fair. 1t WAS reported by the committee
of the State FAIR US being IN extra tine
sample OF Scotch Fife wheat. This
wheat is a: present worth Is cts a bushel
above Ne , in ST. Paul. Milwaukee and
Chicago. " hich would make los. to
me on 1000 bushels OF $50. As you are
probably aware we have mo No.
extra ut No. hard" grades of whea
on the line OF this road The difference
: between No common and No | hard
at the present time Is ten cents a bushel
The majority OF wheat raised on the line
Of this road is hard and in usual seasons
il properly cleaned would grade No. /
hard You can readily perceive. that
the loss to the farmer under tie present
manner oil grading in usual seasons
would run into the hundreds OF thous-
ands OF dollars
Another subject which the Legislature
should attend 10 Is the matter of weights.
As at present managed | am informed
that the owner OF the grain houses fixes
the scales ut different times and that the
Inspector has no right under any cir
cumstances to change them; that the
: usual amount taken from each draft is
i pounds.
Sill another subject OF real impor-
tance u the farmer is the present con.
tract between the St. Paul & Pacific
Roalruad Co. and Messrs Delano & Co.
under that contract | am informed by
the best OF authority Messrs. D. i Co.
receive tour cents bushel for every
bushel, OF wheat that passes over this
road, whether it goes through their ele
vator or not and that this amount is
char ged III the freight.
One would suppose that the Elevator
Co. with these advantages would have
all the convenience tor unloading and
storing that the farmers could ask tor
. But this is far from the case, Farmers
are compelled 10 drive up over more
steep grades and then lit their grain up
by main toree into the little cars. The
Inspector aud weisher is in closed
office. and the farmer can not see his
wheat weighed unless he leaves his
team and goes round into the office. the
scales being dropped scales OF
ten times before he gets there the scales
are cropped and YOU cannot tell any
thing about the weight These grain
houses have oeen iall mos, all winter.
Farmers are. turned away almost daily
tor iack 81 store room. Il will be i'm
possible .or farmers to market their
whoa. until after spriug work although
they nave debts hat must lie paid oe-
fore that line.
| believe that The legislature should
require that III. -t,.ia houses and ele-
yators >a9@il grade their wheat alike,
Say after tae rules iaid down by II,
Chamber u Commerce OF ST. Pau. oil
milwaukee and that each inspeeso,
Should always keep On hand samples o
the different grades
Yours Respectfully
fARNER