Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1885-01-15
DAKOTA
Investigated BY the Board Of Dakota Wheat
inspectors - The Conclusions
Arrived At.
The Railways Ready to Cooperate With the
Farmers-The Evils Of Dockage and
Mixing.
The various Complaints Of Bad Grades and
Worse Prices the Remedies
Suggested.

Ibe tGFlOut NDmpAhtudS VI ese@S"
Worse Prices The Remedies
Suggested.
-
The board Of grain inspectors Of Dakota
have made an exhaustive report on the sub
iect submitted to their investigation, which
after alludine IL the importance Of the
%heat-growtng interests of the territory,
both to producers and purchasers, and the
conditions of soil and climate which tend TO
a perfect quality Of hard wheat-continues,
showing that the crop viii approximate 26,-
900 900 bushels, which Is largely sought
after in all parts Of the world
rae IEvAro SYSTEM
swe found that almost every purchaser OF
grain in the territory had his own plan OF
grading wheat offered for sale, The elevator
system deserves particular attention in this
connection. The grain raised In Dakota Ia
mostly handled through these instrumental
tiles; and elevators are, without doubt, when
properly conducted, great public conven-
fences in handling the immense crop thrown
upon the market almost in bulk. In fact, It
would be impossible 20 market the said grain
without elevators, which, to-day, immens
as Is their capacity, are scarcely sufficient 70
store the wheat offered for+transportation. :
After enumerating the elevator companies
operating on the various lines OF railway. the
report continues: Beside the facilities for
the storage and handling of the grain afforded
by the above. we find large Numbers OF ware
houses and fiat houses at various points, with
q large storage capacity, beside independent
elevators and farmers elevators, and also
Touring mills at Fargo. Grand Forks, Grafton
Larimore, Milbank, Aberdeen, Columbia,
49,. - W -. IL GHA,.- E.Ila
Dell Rapids, Elk Point, and a number OF
other places in the territory, each with q
storage sufficient for their needs, making a
total storage capacity OF over six million
bushels And yet large as it Is the wheat
crop of Dakota can scarcely be handled. IL
will be readily seen That public elevators are
an absolute necessity, and being a public me-
cessity should be under strict surveillance
and regulated for public good. This primar-
lily was no doubt the intention of the legisla-
tive assembly IN passing the act named
above. The attention OF this board was d.
rected at an early day to the alleged abuses
by elevator agents IN the matter of grading
wheat, and complaints reached us, mostly
through the public prints, from almost every
railrC I'D station in the territory, of the
most shameful frauds practiced upon the
farmers by said agents, We accordingly de-
termined TO make a thorough investigation
thereof, and, IL in our power so TO do, cor
rect said abuses. and secure the punishment
of the perpetrators. We visited personally
nearly every place in the territory examined
thoroughly, and sought every conceivable
method TO secure evidence of the commits
sion of a public ~offcnse, bnt We're unable TO
secure the same; nor have we TO this day
been able TO secure evidence that before a
jury would convict This for the reason that
under the law named above Ii Is necessary TO
prove that the elevator agent knowingly
cheated in the grade or weight of the wheat
sold. To this we could get NJ one to swear.
These complaints were very numerous and
various in form.
COMPLAINTS INVESTIGATED.
A number of aifiday!ts were presented at
a convention OF the farmersof North Dakota,
held in Grand Forks, Jan. 20, 1854, and
among others referred to a committee who
reported ~that the number of aifidagits is so
large that they could not all be presented In
the one evening Many Of these legal docu-
ments, however, are of q trivial and entirely
irrelevant nature, and not worthy CT serious
consideration. All show, however, al ir-
regular system of under grading and unjust
discrimination in the matters OF purchasing
aud weighing of wheat; that tho grading of
wheat was governed by the caprice Of ele-
vator agents and no uniform system existed
in the Red river valley. Affidavits are pre-
sented by various parties, most of them re-
lating TO different prices offered and grades
allowed at various elevators. There are also
afidavits of false weight, as compared with
weights at points outside of elevators About
five hundred affidayits were presented to
the committee, but only twenty-five were
offered before the convention. Those read
were Of similar purport 70 the above men
toned, and showed a wide difference in the
matter Of grades, and some gross injustice
in the matter or dockage.a On the other
hand one farmer stated that he marketed
10000 bushels of wheat, OF which 1000
graded Nc, I hard Another farmer stated
NIwgA - 49, A-I1 ---.A-zn L-.---
wheat and received a large proportion OF
high grades and was well satisfied This
board were In attendance upon said conven-
ton, by invitation or the committee APP
pointed to call the same. and were fully con
WINGED by the showing there made of the
necessity of additional legislation for the
protection OF the farmers OF this territory.
IL would seem TO any one even the least
observant, that an elevator agent should be
able to grade the same wheat alike, even de-
hyered in two successive loads or on differ
emf days, but the evidence presented 10 the
board IN all parts Of the territory proves that
Lie con rary Is the case. WY is ity Is it
want OF capacity and experience on the part
OF said agentsg or does their inability to
properly grade wheat presented for sale
simply arise from the infallibility Of human
Judgment IL Is charitable TO believe that
each OF those elements are characteristic OF
the average wheat buyer OF Dakota We
have never yet had an allegation made that
the agent was ,ishU.s-st. and although we
frequently asked the question of the com
plainant, ID o believe the agent know
ipgly n wilfully swindied yony' the an
swer was invariably, ~No." We have no in
tention in this report OF making any argv-
ment upon this subject. but desire to pre-
sent facts as we found them, leaving 70 You
the duty OF applying the remedy for the
many evils we tind 70 exist in this whole
matter OF grading the wheat crop OF the
territory. ~
TRANSPORTATION BIZ RAN.
There IL another branch OF this subject to
which we desire 70 direct your attention.
That OF transportation, and connected there
VIII, the relations Of the elevator companies
10 the railroads. doing business as common
carriers in our midst. Perhaps we can better
present this subject by again referring To the
proceedings OF the Grand Forks convention.
which, briefly stated, eventuated in the APP
pointment Of q committee of representative
gentlemen OF said body, who were author
zed 70 proceed TO st Paul and lay their
grievances before the Manitoba Railroad
company and seek redress therefor. The
complaints embodied In the report Of said
committees. and which were brought 90 the
attention OF the corporation named. were
generally similar TO those mads against the
Chicago X northwestern, the Chicago. NIL
Maukee d St Paul and the Northern Pacific
hailroad companies, only varying In intensity
or number, az the case might be. This board
nave no other or further comment 70 mako
upon the conclusions arrived at nv this COM
nIittee tsome OF whom were once railroad
mem, and who seem TO have given to the
consideration Of the subject great labor and
pains, than TO say that we fully agree
with them therein; and this after the
FULLEST investigation We nave been
able TO make; both private, and also
at public meetings held az prominent points
on the lines OF these great corporations, par
tleipated in by the. ge-cra! freight agents
ana other officers of the roads named, and
by large numbers 81 the practical farmers
along the mes thereof. We may say, how
ever. that We were everywhere met in what
we regarded as q perfect spirit of fairness by
the general officers OF said railroads, who de-
clared their willingness to do everything in
their power To secure to the farmers of the
the full reward of their industry.
tux RAILWAY OFFERS
40 public meetings held 10 both Grafton
and Grand Forks. General Manager Marvel.
the st Paul, Minneapolis 4 Manitoba rail-
road, declared that
The policy Of mis- road IN permitting the erec-
tion by PiilsburJ * Hubert and others OF the
extensive elevators on the line OF said road was
" promote TIE interests OF the grain producer
That the eFep could In 20 othek wsy Ds hsudied.
tbSs ssidcorporations hadno special pripileves
but paid the same rates as other shippers. and
were allowed no rebate IN any way, but on the
were held TO conducb their elevators in
the interests OF the pnbiic. These conditions
We're snch as the elevator companies would
relieve themselves OF II the railroad com
pany' woufi permit them 10 stay In the market
wen " was their interest 10 do so, and 20 out