St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-01-24
ASKING FAIR PLAY.
Legislation Under Way to Place Far
mers on an Equal Footing With
the Millers.
The Most Important Resolution Read was to
put the Inspection of Wheat Under
State Control,
Thus Establishing a Uniform Grade, Ena-
bling the Producer to Obtain a Liv-
ing Price for His Grain.

The house committees on railroads and on
warehouse and grain inspection held meet
ing at O'Clock yesterday afternoon in the
chamber of the house, where it was met by a
committee of the chamber Of commerce Of
Min neapolis, which, by the way, is antago-
nistic to the Millers' association, by members
of both the house and the senate, railroad
1 officials and citizens of st. Paul and Mime
apolis.
After coming to order Mr.. Sammis. of the
Minneapolis com mittee, read series of res
olutions adopted Jan. IA, which recon-
mend that grain grading and elevators be
under state supervision, favoring reduc-
ton Of railroad rates; an amendment of the
law of chattel mortgage as connected with
grain in store or growing; an equalization
of fiat and transit rates, and a law prohibit
ing discrimination in receiving and ship
ing grain.
Mr.. Drake, of Ramsey, moved the resolu.
tons be taken up and considered seriatim.
Adopted.
| The first item was that of public elevators
and state inspection. Mr.. Sammis explained
|
| spection, grades would be guaranteed so that
party selling his grain in the interior could
go to Minneapolis or st. Paul, or other receiv-
ing point, and sell the same, the purchaser
being guaranteed the amount and grade
called for in his receipt. In answer to a
question he explained that as all grain would
have to be inspected, it would make no diff
ference to shipper or purchaser whether the
receipt was given by public or private ware
! house.
| R. Barden, of Minneapolis, said the idea
and purport of the resolutions were laws to
secure uniformity of inspection, so that the
purchaser of grain receipt from the interior
would know just exactly what he was buying
| and the seller just what he was selling. He
referred to the practice formerly on the Sioux
City road, where the railroad company be-
came responsible for the grade aud amount
of wheat purported to be represented on their
warehouse receipts, which receipts found q
ready sale in st. Paul. This was the system
the resolutions favored, except that the state
inspection shall be the guarantee rather than
the railroad company, What was wanted was
to simplify aud get matters as near right for
all parties as possible. The mode of opera
ton was state inspector with established
grades. Then buyers at interior points
would be compelled to conform TO such
grades, so that buyers at terminal points
would know when they bought ticket call
ing for certain grade they would get that
grade as we'll as the amount called for. His
first experience in purchasing wheat was on
the Michigan Central railroad, which con-
trolled the business and guaranteed the de-
liveries 1t made, SO that receipts given were
always negotiable. False grading, he thought,
should be made crime and severely pun
ished.
Mr.. Edmond, of the house, wished to know
II the heavy bonds and arbitrary grades pro-
posed would not have the tendency to drive
public elevators out OF business.
Mr.. Marshall, OF Minneapolis, thought
state inspection aud fair grades would be
generally accepted by parties engaged in the
elevator business. The charges should be
made reasonable and no UNNECESSARY hard
ships imposed.
Mr.. Serle said he had talked with a large
elevator man who said he would welcome
state inspection and uniform grades.
Mr.. Sammis said the system would not in
terfere with the sales of grain by sample.
The mill with which he was connected now
paid little attention to elevator grading, buy
ing their wheat on It's merits, often rating 1t
higher than elevators would grade it.
Mr.. Marshall said there was no desire to
make war on elevators, public or
private. Public elevators were a
necessity in this country, they being
constructed very often at points where pri-
yate enterprise would not 20.
Chairman Stordock believed that with an
open market the questions of grades and
other matters would soon settle themselves.
He said as the business was conducted now
It looked as II the elevator men and railroad
com panies absolutely controlled the market,
and compelled the producer TO sell his grain
in the market and at the price they dictated.
There was no uniformity in the manner of
grading now, e,buyer grading 1t up or down
just as be happened TO feel that day
IL he had an attack Of dyspepsia
down goes the grade, or If he felt par
ticularly good, better grades would be given.
Mr.. sammis said buyers at Minneapolis
could not be compelled to buy grain at
grade fixed by state or other inspection.
What was wanted was state inspection at the
receiving points. That done the interior
points would soon conform 70 such grades
and thus uniformity would be secured.
Mr.. Stordock thought that was the trouble
now-tbe interior buyers were too qnick In
conforming to the grades fixed at the receiv-
ing points.
Mr.. Barlen again called attention to the
Sioux City system before referred TO, and
said at that time he did not hear one com
plant from farmers where there
are now fifty. lie further said
that wheat graded No. at Minneapolis, If
shipped TO Milwaukee or Chicago, would al
most invariably be graded lover. He had
tried 1t, aud knew whereof be spoke.
Mr.. Storiock explained his personal expe-
Renee, both at Duluth and Minneapolis.
where on one occasion he Jared much better
at Duluth, and again Minneapolis treated
him the best. The trouble was, as It seemed
to farmers, that the elevators at both points
fixed their grade 10 suit the market and their
necessities at the time. The remedy, In bis
opinion, was state inspection and uniform
grade
Mr.. Marshall said the effort 70 estab lish
uniform grades at Duluth and Minneapolis
had failed, but he claimed the Min
neapolis market paid the full value OF all
wheat shipped 10 IT, Minneapolis bought
largely on the merits OF the grain offered.
His idea was that the same rule should ap-
ply at interior markets, and then have the
grade axed b. state inspection al receiving
points. He also claimed that the wheat Of
the northwest was steadily detsrior2;ing; that
soft wheat was steadily working iuO the
hard varieties, thus reducing the grade.
Grades must be retained and made rigid, but
any attempt TO establish state inspection In
the interior would result disas,rOusly. The
state ought to compel free markets, fair
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