The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-02-08
UNJUST WHEAT GRADING
Allegations Of the Same Lead to the Bringing
Together OF Dakota Farmers In a Con-
yention at Grand Forks.
Grievances against Elevator Men and the Rail-
road Company Considered Most
Exclusively.
The Aggrieved Farmers.

10 JdhC sCllDI III 4tSdIu 10 blb GlitNEI
wrongs of the elevator system and unjust
railroad discrimination Of the Northwest,
was called TO order at 4 o'clock this after
noon. About 100 persons are present,
tyo-Uhirds of whom are farmers. The follow
ing counties are represented: Walsh, Grand
Forks, Trail, Ramsey and Pembina. John
Degroat, mayor of Hillsboro, was elected
chairman, and George h. Winship, editor OF
the Grand Forks Herald, secretary. The fol-
lowing delegates were present:
Walsh County-E. o. Faulkner, w. O'Keefe
George Brown, William Sprague, James Lowrey,
C. II. Hovey, O. w. Guttridge, @. M. Winship.
Grand Forks C9unty11W., S. Collins, Q. Wright,
J. G. Hamilton, w. n. Roach, A. Christian, G.. II.
Walsh, George Il. Winship. E.. =. De Wolfe, j. w.
Scott, w, j. Anderson, II. Rowland, w. Whit
more, J. A. Ross, W.. IL. Brown, ". II. Blocklan,
Ramsey County-Frank l.. Dana, II. G Hans
born.
Beechel, Isaac +. Houston, John Bidlake, James
Bedford, John Seller, William Garrett, William
A. Henderson, w. A. Douglass.
Trail County-Asa Sargent, II. N. Foulk, w.
p ClelIand. G. N. Clark, Budd Reeves, s. Knud-
son. /. Thompson, Thomas Powers, W. 9. Nor
gan, II. Walsh, J. Degroat, Il. ID. Barker.
A committees consisting of James Steen,
William Clark, Robert Garry and II. Lumpt-
ford, representing the Winnipeg board Of
trade. are present T. IL Sims, travelling
auditor Of the Pillsbury & Hubert Elevator
company, and three or four elevator agents
are the only representatives of the other
side on the ground. The railroad companies
are not represented Committees We're APP
nointed on resolutions and to examine afii-
davits prepared and report thereon. A COM
mittee was also appointed to report on a
permanent organization for the purpose of
keeping up the present agitation and devise
means for relief, after which the convention
adjourned until s o'clock.
THE PROPOSED Nr0y OUTLET.
On r~eassembling Mr.. Clark, on behalf of
the Winnipeg board of trade, speaking for
the farmers of Manitoba, addressed the meet
ing He stated that at a meeting of the
formers Of the dominion last fall to discuss
troubles similar to those now agitating the
farmers os Dakota, a resolution was unani-
mously adopted IN favor of the establishing
Of direct communication with the markets of
the old world by q route from Winnipeg TO
Hudson bay. The dominion government has
taken an interest in his scheme, and if the
road is ever built it will be under the direction
and control of the government for the ben
eft of the people. The mission of the Win
nipeg delegation is simply to get an express
sion of sympathy from the farmers OF Da-
kota, and to enlist their cooperation as far
az practicable. Mr.. Clark demonstrated that
by the Hudson Bay route the distance from
the ned River valley to Liverpool would be
shortened about 500 miles. For two-5nlrGs
of the distance, he claimed, grain can be
shipped on q water route by way OF the Red
river and Lake Winnipeg. This route would
place the hard wheat OF the valley within the
reach OF the nilIers of the Dominion, and
TINS create direct competition against the
Minneapolis millers. The scheme is received
with great enthusiasm by the convention,
and it was heartily endorsed
II AFFIDAvTTs.
The committee on grievances reported that
the number of aftidavits is SO large that they
could not.all be presented in the one even
ing. Many Of these legal documents, how
ever. are of a trivial and entirely irreyalent
nature, and not worthy of serious considera-
ton. The following are o few OF the most
Important:
No. 1-oleR II. Rouke took a load of wheat to
Reeves at Reynolds, in Trail county; was offered
40 cents; waited some time and sent q stranger
back with the same load 10 the same agent, and
wheat to Reeves and was offered 60 cents; wenr
direct TO Pillsbury & HILBERT with the same load
and got ~ cents; y, EjANongt took a load Of wheat
to Pilsbury a. Hulber1 at Buxton. The agent
gTadedls frozen. This wheat had been stacked
several days before the frost. Michael
Brennan swears that he took = load
tor az Marvel and was graded No. z soft. HIS
g gs;sS o 10, 2 q Nd r 4 nGishe Tgi to Sbs sno Mss , s9aa
the same hin ard was not frosted. Frensfick
Decker took alJad tothe Northwestern Elevator
company at ATdock that had been cleaned by 2
tanning mill and was locked one pound a
bushel. The pext load was cleaned by the mill
and y9.rxrS5td W. pounds Q bushei lie then
took II <cf S4nder OF his wheat to Niagara, and
was lNoAoS id at all.
Jo 81"A sss5on swears that his wheat when
weil &upxsSbther scales weighed ten pounds
moqeed.E TX than when weighed on thc ele-
vat& gEssS at Ard0ch. His wheat WAS graded
Tn "a .lfferents grades, although 1t was all
Il 20 81 at the same time, was the same kind OF
wv $fNand grown fromthe same seed.
nbut Ave hundred nfidayits were pre-
81 led TO the committee, but only twenty
fSas were offered before the convention.
ose read were of similar purport to the
Move ana showed n wide difference in the
batter OF grades. and some gross injustice in
the matter of dockage. One the other hand,
sone farmed stated that he marketed 10000
bushels of wheat, of which 1000 graded No.
l hard Another farmer stated that he had
sold several thousands of wheat and had re-
.ceived a large proportion of high grades
and was well satisfied. "a ~oommunica-
ton from G. A. Pillsbury was read,
in which~ he repeated all he
has formerly said in his published letters,
and offered that if this convention would APP
point a committee of fair-minded men,
reputable farmers and business men, nc
would meet them and together they would
agree upon some disinterested men, who
shall take time to investigate all the state
ments he had made in Ills communication,
and make a public report. He further
agreed to pay all the expenses Of this COIN
mittee.
THE RESOLUTIONS,