Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1882-09-02
THE SHORT WEIGHT QUESTION
lFron the Rural World !

lcVOh tue burbl W OfIU
A most perplexing question with
grain receivers Tor several years past.
has been how to account Tor the discrep-
ancy between the shIpper's weight or
measure aud thai of receivers. 10 near.
ly every car Of wheat shipped here it ap-
pears shortage arose. usually from
i've to ten bushels. The shipper gen.
srallv blamed his commission nlan Tor
The shrinkage while. as matter of fact,
the commission man never saw tho car
or its contents. % the floor Of the ex.
change he is handed the elevator re-
celpt for bis car Of grain, which shows
how il graded. and how many bushels
the elevator had subject TO his order J,
This receipt Is endorsed over 10 the
purchaser. u bill made and collected and
this ends the commission merchants
connection with the car of gram. The, Q
is NO appeal from the tsce Of that elcva.
tor receipt. 1t is such grade and tne,e 9
are SO many bushels. Various plans have
been devised by the commission mer.
chants looking to correction 0i this
matter. but all have proved u failure.
Recently commiltes was formed on
the floor Ot the Merchants Exchange 10.
discover II possible what becomes OF the
missing wheat. One Of the geniiemen
suggested that mxn be sent intI the
country to the homes of certain com.
planning shippers 10 examine their
scales. mode OF weighing. the condition
OF the cars, e,c. Another gentleman
suggested that detectives be u. aced In
he yards or dep0ts here to watch the
Grain until it got into the elevators.
But this yard watching has been prac.
tic,d before with poor success, both at
this side and in East st. Louis. The
TACT that this abuse has never been rec.
tiled or explained, has driven millions
0t bushels Of grain to other markets, for
shippers could not stand tie constant
lOsses.
In this connection il must bc admitted
TINT there has been more money made
out Of grain elevators the pust five or
six ears. than perhaps out ot any 9th
or industry here. There are numbrr'
OF wealthy elevator men in st. Louis tn
day. Ten years ago It might bs said
there were none. Elevators have
proved regular mints Tor their prsiec.
tors.
Some of the oldest and most expert.
enced grain men pronounce the doings
Of the investigating committee q farce
u movement to disarm suspicion. 1t is
an open secret among these men that
the elevators have received aud g0bb:ed
this grain. aud have grown rich at ths
business. The elevator interest 10 now
a large and influential one, and difficult
TO fight or expose. and while many Of
the receivers are convinced that the
elevators received all this it Is quite au.
nther matter to prove it. TIE commit.
lee entrus' ed with the authority oi slit.
ing this matter tO the bottom will fail
10 'lo their duty il they do not bring up
lhe elevator managers aud their employ
es Tor rigid ex,mInation regarding
The weighing. handling and storing of
his grain. One OF the most important
"d"s, ries to the city is being steadily
s. ppled, and unless the guilty parties
re brought TO justice the gram trade Of
81. Louis will soon be ruined. A flood
'f light will doubtless be brown ON the
subject bsiore long. =