St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-02-19

intention so 10 do, 10 declare this lease at
an end, and to re-enter and take full and
absolute possession of the above rented
premises, and hold and enjoy the same fully
and absolutely, without such re-entering
wOrkinga forfeiture of the rents to be paid
and the covenants to be performed by the
said party of the second part, his heirs,
executors, administrators or assigns, for the
full term of this lease
Now, if there is no law, and if during
the five years during which these contracts
have existed there has been no law applica-
BILE to the handling Of grain in warehouses
that would regulate them and prevent any
oppression, it is not the fault of the rail-
roads. Our object in putting the minimum
capacity of grain warehouses at $4,000
bushels was simply to provide warehouse
of sufficient size to enable the warehouse
men to separate and grade grain of the diff
ferent grades under a state law. l think
any practical man will say that it is i'm
possible to receive and handle grain,
keeping the grain separate and furnishing
a reasonable amount of storage, with less
capacity. A warehouse that should be
able to take in from the farmers their grain
as it is hauled, and furnish at least two or
requirement We have on our line Ofroad
four stations that, in the month of NOvem-
Der, received from the farmers ], 300, 600
bushels of wheat, or an average for each
elevator of about 10, 900 bushels day. In
the event of anything that would prevent
the railroad company from furnishing cars
to such elevator, this storage alone
would enable the farmer to deliver
his wheat and 90 to his home. With
out it men coming ten to fifteen
miles from back in the country, when they
arrived at the station would find the ele-
vator full and would be compelled to either
pile their grain up in sacks and 90 home
and leave them, or remain camped out I'M
der their wagons until such time as the
elevator could be relieved. l think that
any intelligent commissioner will say that
the size of the elevator is as small as is
consistent with the proper handling of the
grain. The expense of such an elevator, if
built with bins of plank, as elevators are
usually, would be $1,000, and for a fiat
warehouse, at present prices, not to exceed
$1,000. am now, and always have been,
ready to build these houses for anyone at
the prices stated, so that if my prices are
too low they do not suffer.
\ WORD ABOUT NEWSPAPERS
1t has been the fashion for such news
papers as think they are making public
opinion to do everything in their power to
create prejudices in the minds of the farm
ers against the railways. To such an extent
has this been carried that everything con-
nected with the grading and handling of
grain has been charged directly to the rail-
ways. The railways have no more, and
should have no more, to do with the grad
ing and inspection of grain than they have
to do with the milling of grain or the cul
tivatiOn of the grain. Their business is
purely and simply that of transportation,
and any law that may be enacted by the
legislature that does not consider this fact
and act upon it as ruling principle, will
fail of its object. Conditions that apply in
the older part of this State, or of any state
where the farmers have had time to sur
round themselves with granaries and barns,
do not apply to the frontier portion of the
State, large portion of which is served by
a line of the railroad which | represent.
think | am safe to say that not one farm
er in ten III Northern Minnesota has a
granary. In passing through that portion
of the country | have found the farmers
to thresh when the threShing
machine was in their neighbOrhOOd and in
their extremity to protect the grain from
the earth have known them to take the
clothes from their beds and spread them up
on the stubble upon which to lay their grain,
and when, threshed, to cover their grain
with straw. When these men, living
remote from the railway station. take
a load of wheat to an elevator it cannot be
otherwise than dirty. They may have first
class No. wheat. but for want of facilities
to clean it their wheat is dirty, and this is
one source of great abuse. The elevator
man has the advantage of being the sole
umpire as To how much should be deducted
for dirt, and that this works great hard
ship on the farmer cannot be denied. The
Territory of Dakota, two years ago, APP
pointed Il board of grain inspectors, but,
through the want of care in preparing their
law. they have no standard fixed by which
to Judge the grain of the Territory. This
devoted its entire time to visit
ing, believe. every elevator in the Territory
and making personal examinations. hear
ing complaints, and doing everything that
could be done to gain knowledge as to the
situation. 1t made report on the first of
the present month to the governor and
Legislature of Dakota.
On page - of that report the committee
say:
But neither the most liberal policy that
might be inaugurated by the railroad COM
panies, nor the privilege of shipment by
the individual farmer. will give relief to
the great mass of those who cannot thus
ship, nor determine the point upon which
rests finally all, or nearly all, the trouble
We refer to the question of grades. 1t
is of no kind of Use for this board or any
other tribunal to declare what shall con-
stitute No. | hard wheat unless some tri-
bunal exists to whom disputes arising as
to whethera certain lot of wheat offered for
sale he a certain grade or not In other
words To determine whose Judgment. that
of buyer or seller If either is correct
Grading wheat must necessarily be largely
matter of individual judgment, and
where the elevator agent refuses to receive
wheat at the grade the producer believes it
to be entitled. the necessities of the farmer
will generally govern him in selling at
grade below what he honestly believes he
l.