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

team down the driveway to the elevator
the elevator man will determine whether
he is ready to grade the grain on its merits
or whether it is to be locked for anv foul
substance OF dirt If the farmer and ware
houseman cannot agree, the law should
provide that the elevator shall clean the
farmers wheat at price, say, one-half cent
per bushel, which would be twenty cents
for load of forty bushels, and the grain
when cleaned shall be graded ON its mer-
its. In order to remove any temptation on
the part OF any elevator employe to take more
from the wheat than the dirt, or to take out
any merchantable grain that he might af-
terward run through the mill and separate
for his own benefit, all the tailings shall be
blown into space Of say, 6 by 8 feet, and
should be the property of the farmer, which
he might fill into his empty sacks and take
home to feed to his pigs and chickens.
WHEAT GRADING AND INSPECTION.
All grain should be weighed on scales
sealed by State inspector of weights and
measures. and it should be the duty of
every county treasurer to appoint at each
railway station where there is public ele-
vator deputy inspector of weights and
measures whose duty it should be to in
spect once in a year, or once in three
months, each scale used in the elevator,
and in case any farmer felt that the scales
were not right and that he was not receiv-
ing honest weight, it should be within his
power to bring this inspector, who should
live convenient to the elevator, and have
him examine and test the scale under the
law; the fee to be paid by the owner of the
scales, if found incorrect, and by the farmer
if the scales were found correct and in case
any warehOuseman should continue to use
scales that were not properly balanced and
sealed he should be fined, or imprisoned, or
both. When you have provided against
unreasonable dOckage fol- dirt and have
correct weighing, the next thing is the
grade.
The warehouse commissioners of the State
should establish State grades fixed upon the
basis of the value of the wheat. All eleva-
tors should be compelled to keep samples,
under glass and under seal, of the different
grades of wheat established by the State
board All wheat should be graded accord
ing to these standards and warehouse
receipt given for the number of pounds
and of the quality delivered by the farmer,
and this receipt should provide that on its
return to the warehouseman the same kind
and the same quality of grain should be
delivered tOthe Owner. The receipt should
pass ownership by proper Endorsement.
With law covering these provisions and
providing for such a receipt the farmer can
deposit his grain and have it graded
and its value established as well as
he can take his money to the bank
and deposit it and get certificate of de-
post payable to his order The State COM
missioners cannot fix the price, but they
can fix the grade, and the grade will deter
mine the price. With such law every
farmer in the State of Minnesota, however
remote from market, would have not only
the benefit that might arise from competi
ton between local merchants but will have
the further advantage of every market in
the State, for if he is not disposed to ac
cept the figures of his local market he can
sell his receipts to dealer in WinOna, Ro-
chester, Minneapolis, st. Paul or Duluth,
and whoever buys these receipts has law
of the State behind him that will enable
him to demand and receive the amount and
quality of grain stated on the face of the
receipt as fixed by the State board of ware
house commissioners.
Under such a law there is an absolutely
free and open market; and under no other
law can a free and open market be main
tanned. You may increase the number of
elevators by allowing everyone to build
small houses, but the market is not increased
beyond the limited number of these small
houses, while, under this law, rs / said be-
fore, the market is open to every person
within or without the State who desires to
buy wheat at that point. Every person
operating an elevator, whether for himself
or as an employee of others, should once
in every year 20 before the State commits
sion or some tribunal designated by it, and
pass an examination as to his ability to
grade wheat under the standard fixed by
the State commission, and he should re-
ceive from the commission certificate GER
tifyiDg that he had passed such an exmina
ton and was entitled to do this work in
any elevator in the State. This certificate
should be posted within the elevator
where the man is employed, and should be
revocable by the commission for any act of
misconduct on the part of the warehouse
man.
lllrDtfiblN Dt dDDulnlCNl at
all points where there are large transactions
in grain; that is, at all ultimate markets,
and these inspectors should inspect all
grain received and offered for sale at such
markets. A reasonable fee per car would
cover the entire expense of such inspec-
ton. and all elevators could then with
certainty guarantee weight and grade in
these ultimate markets-say Duluth, Min
neapolis St Paul, Winona and other points.
1t may be urged that it is impossible for
men to grade grain alike, that there is so
much difference of opinion this cannot be
done heard it urged a few days ago that
any system of inspection must be very i'm
perfect Since that time found that in the
city off Chicago, where they have state inspec-
ton. nearly -. 200, 900 bushels of grain had
been inspected and - appeals were taken
from the award of the State inspector. Of
these ~ appeals the action of the State in
spectOr was sustained in 30 cases, and -
cases reversed-and these y cases covered
less than 20. 600 bushels in the enormous
amount of -. 900, 600 bushels The wheat
crop in the State of Minnesota TO be sold
through elevators amounts to between %
600, 600 and 80. 600 600 bushels or One-third
of the amount inspected in Chicago. Now.