St. Paul daily globe., 1886-04-17
THE GRAIN INTERESTS.
Report of the Railroad and Ware-
house Co mn nissiOnefs.

Report of the Railroad and Ware
house Co mmissiOners.
The first annual report of the state board
bf railroad and warehouse commissioners
was submitted in printed form to the gov
ernor yesterday. 1t is document of over
500 pages, giving in detail the results of
the work and investigations of the board
from its organization, April IA, 1885, to
Dec. l, 1855. All that is of especial public
interest in the body of the report has been
given by the press as the proofs were sub
mitted, but some parts of the report of the
chief inspector of grain and his Subordi-
mates. which are included in the APPENDIX
will be of interest to many.
The present system of inspecting and
weighing grain under the Jaw begun nom-
inally Aug. l, but it practically begun Sept
1, owing to the large amount OF wheat
from the previous crop which had been
stored under the old grades. The report
covers the inspection FROM Aug. to Dec. L.
In his report, c. w. Burdck, chief in
spectOr, says:
BY securing uniformity of grades at the
three terminal points fixed 10y law it was be-
lieved that the system SO established would
spread and be maintained at all the interior
points of shipment. With a view of facilitat.
ing this general conformity, standard samples
u
and distributed to ali who applied. A nom
ina price OF % cents per set was charged to
cover actual cost. a large quantity of these
samples have been so distributed, and are
doing good work in secu ring general con-
fOrnty 10 the grades established. Some of
these samples of grades have been sent TO
our Eastern cities. Canada and the principal
markets of Europe.
The wheat of the Northwest is recognized in
all markets of the world as pre-emnently the
finest grain produced, ana the -four made
from il possessing intrinsic merits equaled by
no her. To properly classify and preserve
this grain in its original character has been
our primary aim and object. That these
grades have been held with uniformity and
care is evinced by the fact that out of 100
cargoes shipped from Duluth, aggregating
over 1000 0O0 bushels, in not one was our
grade challenged. 1t produces that condition
of things which enables party at 4 distant
point TO wire his agent in Minnesota orders
for our wheat, on the basis of these fixed
grades. and carries our wheat to all markets
of the world with a guaranty that 1t is strictly
as represented.
We experienced much more difficulty in
bringing about q uniformity of grades than
one would suppose. Minneapolis and Duluth
are recognized as the two principal wheat
markets of the Northwest, and it would be
inferred that a uniformity of grades could be
established and maintained without much
trOuble; but experience has taught us other
wise, for the one (Minneapolis) is a manufac-
turing market and the other (Duluth) an eY-
port market. The Minneapolis market, being
u manufacturing market, is also of course a
''sample" market, and much wheat that is
''off grade can be taken and disposed of by
sample to better advantage than by
grade; while Duluth, being an ex-
port market and a ''grade' market,
where everything goes into the ele-
vator upon the grade, the question of selling
upon sample does not so materially enter
into consideration. Hence the two markets
differ greatly in that respect, and to adjust,
establish and maintain the grades uniformly
in those two cities, so that jurtice might be
done the producer and buser and yet not an
tagonize the different interests governing the
trade in the above places was an undertak-
ing Of no small difficulty. OF the
two higher grades, comprising nearly eleven
%twelfths of all wheat received at Minneapolis
and Duluth from the Manitoba and Northern
Pacific roads during the system of state in-
specuon, only difference of q fraction over
2 per cent. existed, which, considering all
things, it is believed approximates perfection
as nearly as could be possible.
THE INSPECTOR
takes strong ground against the practice of
shipping grain in the dirt, requiring the in
SpectOr to estimate the amount of dockage
necessary to allow in cleaning. Much of
the.ditference of opinion between the ship
condition of the grain and the practice adds
much to the complications meeting the in
spector in arriving at conclusion. Great
pains have been taken to educate the iudg-
ment of the inspectors in this matter of
dockage. Referring to this point the re-
port has the following:
After careful summing up of the work
we find the average dockage to be 94-IOO of a
pound per bushel on the unclean grain thus
far inspected. This element in the inspection
of grain will probably cause more or less
friction for some time to come
There have been inspected by the depart
ment during the three months in which the
syst EN- has been in operation from Sept l to
to Dec. 1, 41,711 cars of spring wheat, $50
cars of winter wheat 1,292 cars of corn.
grain. fax etc., making in all 43,3s9 cars of
all kinds of grain inspected during the above
time.
The report of A. G. Clausen, chief dep
uty of
THE MINNEAPOLIS DISTRICT,
shows the inspection during the months of
September, October and November of 25,-
600 carloads of wheat equivalent to 13. 6OO.-
900 bushels, the receipts for October alone
being 1000, 900 bushels. He highly COM
mends the spirit with which the work has
been received by the Minneapolis miIlers
and the hearty support extended by them
to the department. Regarding the practl-
cal operation of the law in that district he
says:
1t is generally known fact that but two
warehouses out of eight that might be
deemed eligible, have complied with the pro-
visions of the law, and taken out licenses as
public warehouses. The failure of the others
to follow their example has been n matter of
wide and severe criticism, and by many has
been ascribed to disposition on their part to
evade and defy the law.
Candor compels me to admit that close oh
servatiOn on my part fails to discover any
manifestation of such q sentiment. and I am
convinced that careful and impartial inyesti-
cation of the conditions of the grain trade il,
this city would not only thoroughly remove
such an impression, but develop facts that
would clearly demonstrate the necessity for
modihcations in some provisions of the law to
meet the exigencies of this market and re-
move the present impediments TO a free and
unobstructed course of business.
E. S. Warner, warehouse registrar. saws
in his report:
1t is evident by reading the warehouse and
grain law, approved March 5, 1855. that a
complete system Of registration was intended
for the grain houses located at Minneapolis.
St. Paul and Duluth. This Interpretation of
the law does not seem 10 have been guarded d
carefully enough in framing it, as there are
but two public grain houses outside of Du-
luth. and therefore practically no registration
system except at Duluth.
At Duluth the registration of grain al
though some difficulty was experienced in
operation, has now reached a sound basis
and the deputy registrar has a complete check
not only against the elevator receiuts. but
against the work of the men weighing grain at
these places ana III many cases through
this system mistakes have been traced To tho
benefit of the shipper. / deem the registra-
tion of grain one of the most important
features of grain law, as by it You could do