Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-02-27
GRADING GRAIN.

Two New Propositions Presented to the
Legislature Yesterday---The Bills of
Messrs. Stacy and Donohue.
MIR. J. N. Stacy, of Wright county, sub
mitted the following bill relating to the
grading of wheat, to the House yesterday.
1t was read first and second time and or
dered to be printed:
An act to regulate the grading of wheat in the
State of Minnesota.
Section l. There is hereby created system
| tor the grading of wheat, to be known as 'sThe
| Minnesota standard grade,' which shall be
designated in the order following, to-wit:
First-Sound, bright and clean wheat,
weighing 81 pounds or more to the bushel,
known as Scotch fife. or any variety of wheat
| equally as hard and good, shall be graded and
| designated No. extra.
second-sound, bright and clean wheat
shall be graded and designated as No. stand
ard.
Third-sound, bright and clean wheat,
weighing 81 pounds and less than So pounds to
the bushel, shall be graded and designated as
No. 2 extra.
Fourth Sound, bright and clean wheat,
weighing Sc pounds and less than 81 pounds to
the bushel, shall be graded and designated as
No. 2 standard.
Fifth-Sound and clean wheat, weighing less
than Sc pounds and more than 81 pounds to
| the bushel, shall be graded No. standard.
Slxth-Sound and clean wheat weighing less
than 81 pounds and more than So pounds to
the bushel, shall be graded and designated as
No. 4 standard.
Seventh-All wheat weighing less than fifty
| two pounds to the bushel shall be graded and
designated as rejected wheat.
Tbo
used in testing wheat for the purpose of estab-
| fishing the grade thereof, within the State of
Minnesota, shall be one-half bushel measure
| which shall conform in size and shape to the
| United States standard one-half bushel meas
| ure now in use. And the same shall be filed
| IN the manner, and by such device and
| method as shall be prescribed and approved by
! the state inspector of wheat hereinafter pro-
| vided for by this act.
Sec. 8. 1t shall be unlawful to use any
| measure to test or determine the grade or
quality of wheat containing less quantity
| than one-half of one bushel, except that in
cases where parties interested consent to the
| use of a less quantity, it shall then be lawful
| to use two quart measure to determine the
grade thereof; provided said two quart meas
I ure shall be filled in such a
| manner, and by such methods and device
| as shall be prescribed and approved by the State
| inspector of wheat.
Sec. /. Any person who is engaged in the
general business of the purchase, storing or
shipping OF wheat in this State for himself or
! as agent for another, who shall weigh wheat to
| ascertain the weight of measured bushel of
the same for the purpose of grading the same
in any other measure than is provided for in
the foregoing section of this act, or who, on
demand of the person selling OF storing the
same, shall refuse to SO weigh and grade said
wheat as provided in the foregoing sections of
this act, or any person who shall Intentionally
&C.. E.. -. L.
wheat for the purpose of defrauding the pur-
chaser, and thus obtain more than the market
value of such wheat, shall be deemed guilty of
a misdemeanor, and in conviction thereof be-
fore any court of competent jurisdiction, shall
be punished by fine of not less than $50 nor
more than 800 for the first offense and the cost
of prosecution, and not less than 300 or more
| than 5000 and the cost of prosecution for every
! subsequent offense, one-half of said fine to be
paid into the county treasury for the use of the
| schools in the county where said prosecution is
had, and the other half of said fine to be paid
to the person giving information as to said
offense.
Sec. 3. Any person who is engaged in the
purchase storing and shipping Of grain in this
State, either for himself or as agent for another
who shall knowingly cheat in the weight of the
grade received or purchase of wheat, or the
grading of the same provided for in the fore
going sections of this act, or any half bushel
measure containing less cubic inches of space
than is contained in the lawful half bushel
measure of this State, shall be deemed guilty
of misdemeanor and conviction thereof
before any court of competent jurisdiction,
shall be sentenced to imprisonment in the
county Jail of the county wherein the offense
is committed for period not exceeding sixty
days, or be subject to fine not exceeding
500, or both.
Sec. 6. It shall be the duty of the Governor
of this State of Minnesota within thirty days
Loft fho IF h 70 @s,,k
competent person as State inspector of wheat,
whose term of Office shall hold for the term of
two years the refrom, and said Office shall be
filled by appointment by the Governor in like
manner every two years thereafter.
Sec. z. The State inspector of wheat shall
be required to subscribe to the oath of office
required of State officers, and shall execute and
deposit with the secretary of State good and
sufficient bond for the faithful discharge of his
duties, in the sum of two thousand dollars.
Sec. 8. It shall be the duty of the State in
spector of wheat to designate what shall be
the manner of filling the measure to be used
in testing wheat and to prescribe such methods
as shall best secure uniformity in grades, and
shall examine, inspect and stamp such meas
ures and Devices together with scales and steel
yards necessary to be used in carrying out the
provisions of this act. He shall also be re-
quired to publish, cause to be published, a
circular for the use of grain dealers within the
State, prescribing rules to be observed in test
ing wheat, and naming such devices and methods
therein for testing wheat that he may approve,
to the end that uniformity may be secured.
He shall also be required to examine scales,
weights, measures, wheat testers and filters
used in testing wheat in all of the grain mar
kets of the State at such times and places as
may be deemed by him necessary, and shall in
vestigate causes of complaints, and when de-
ceptive and fraudulent practices are found to
exist or scales or measures are used contrary
to law, he shall enter the same in book in
writing, setting forth such facts in the cases as
he may be able to ascertain, and if he shall
deem that there is sufficient cause to believe an
offense has been committed in violation Of the
act, he shall communicate the facts and COM
plants within his knowledge to the county
attorney of the county in which such offense is
alleged to have been committed, and it shall
be the duty of such county attorney upon
proper complaint being made, to prosecute the
offender or offenders.
Sec. 8. The State inspector Of wheat shall
be entitled to receive salary Of twelve hun
dred dollars per annuE and travelling and other
necessary expenses incurred in the perform
ance Of the duties of his Office said sum to be
paid out of the treasury of the State in the
same manner as provided for the payment of
the salaries of State officers.
Sec. 10. The State inspector of wheat may
appoint some competent person to act as dep
uty when deemed necessary to carry out the
provisions of this act, whose duties shall be the
same as prescribed for the inspector of wheat,
and shall be paid by the Inspector who shall
be held responsible for the acts of said deputy
while in the discharge of the duties of the
Office of inspector of wheat.
Sec IL. This act shall take effect and !. be in
force on and after April lat, 1879.
Mr.. Donoks,se's Substitute.
! {. . 5-. 3 a.#