The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1882-12-14
Minnesota News Notes,
FARMERS BOARD OF TRADE.

An Adjourned Meeting at the State
Capitol-A General Discussion Of
observation-disclosures Grading and
Railroad Rates.
The Farmers Board of Trade of Minnesota,
created by state law, convened at st. Paul
last week and were in session three days.
President Lyman Loring of Moorhead in the
chair, and the following members present:
Geo. Giles, Belle PLANE, Scott county, secre-
tary; John Byers, Hastings; q. B. Page, Man
torville, Dodge county; JAS. McBroom, Dan
vile, Blue Earth county; Ole Peterson, Gil
christ, Pope county; Thos. Purcell, OAKLAND,
Freedom county. J. T, Price of Eyota, Ohm
sted county and e. Evanson of Litchfeld.
J. c. Schofield, Of Bloomington, Hennepin
county, was unable to be present, having cut
his foot badly. The objects of this board
are to consider matters pertaining to the
grading and transportation of wheat and all
other matters of interest to farmers which
need legislation, and it is their duty to make
report to the legislature recommending
whatever legislation they. have in
Among the members there was general
discussion &s to wheat grading, railway
discrimination, etc. Mr.. Loring said the
dissatisfaction among the farmers with the
grading in general and the whole elevator
business in particular, was deep and wide
spread. He and others spoke bitterly against
thu system of mixing wheat, and
all averred that the producer should
be able to get the price for the quail
ty of wheat he raises; if 1t Is No. hard, be
should not be in danger of having bis crop
hat - oh 1i1x,
The general sentiment was that the legisla-
ture should look into the matter and the
board proposes to urge the appointment by
law of state inspector, 80 that Minnesota
grades may be uniform:
Gen. Baker, state railroad commissioner,
was present, and while admitting the evils
under which the farmers suffered, caution
ed the board to be careful about the recon-
mendations which they made to the legis-
lature. The granger legislation of few
years ago, while it accomplished much
good, was full of absurdities and the board
should be careful this time to recon-
mend nothing useless, nor unnecessary.
Gen Baker said that he was laboring dill
gently to see that Justice was done to both
people and roads, but he was not prepared
to foreshadow the recommendations WHICH
he should make to the legislature at its
coming session.
The debates showed that the elevator
companies formed great monopoly, geRer-
ally one company owning the warehouse Oh
an entire line of road, so that competition
was impossible. and hence prices kept below
what they should be. AS to inspection,
i is not Snif%n It is alleged that eash ee
vator company has an inspector Of its own;
that the Minneapolis millers have one
willie the port Of Duluth has another.
These differ from each other in their grad
ing; Much dissatisfaction was felt in re-
gard to the charges for shipping through the
elevators.
a great deal was said about the practice
of charging the same price for
stances given Of what is deemed un-
Just discrimination between shippers.
The rebate system by which railroads IA
yor shippers from st. Paul and Minneapolis
was also considered, the prevailing sentiment
being that all should be treated with equal
fairness by common carriers and fno pre-
ferences shown.
Anumber Of resolutions were offered end
referred to the committee on legislation,
who will draw up a report and
did not adept any resolutions, but left all
the matters at issue in the hands of the CON-
mittee. The;resolutions, which will proba
bly, be explained in the report, favor some
wise and judicious legislation restricting
and limiting the railroads of this state il
their charge, for passenger and freights; and
believe that this may may be best attained
by establishing maximum and mini
mum rates that the powers Of
the railroad commissioners should be en-
larged. The following are authoritative, as
having been sanctioned directly by the
d. II -<s{ %1o h1or1 ND
will doubtless be embraced in the report as
to grading the whole system of the grading
of wheat in Minnesota is Ubiquitous to the
farmers. There is no uniformity, in tina!
what one inspector would grade as No. ]
another would class as No. IL hard, which is
more valuable, and there is no legal
or moral rule under which
the several inspectors are responsible.
Again: In almost any case the inspector is
judicial way, is, so long as he is human, in
clined to favoritism for his employer. As
practical illustration, one inspector may
grade No. hard wheat as Ne. l simply.
and the former Is actually worth about !
cents per bushel more than the latter.
As to freights. The freights upon whea
are too high and inure in exorbitant meas
ure to the benefit of the railway companie
and to the disadvantage of the grain pro
ducer. It advantageth q farmer nothing t.
live nearer the lake port or milling place b.
one hundred miles or more in that in orde,
to keep their lands in the market the railway
companies give Western growers equal, or
nearly equal, rates. For example, cal
load of wheat costs the same from Wadena,
Mimi, that it does from Valley City, Oak,
to a market The railways make up the de-
ficit on freights from competing points by
charging far more than the transportation
is worth from points where the several roads
have matters in their own hands. This y,
done by giving competing points rebate
which the isolated one do not get.
Minnesota Normal Schools.