St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-01-06
tate Weighmaster MattsOn Resigns Be-
cause BE Does Not Want to Hold
a Sinecure.
The State Architects Elect Officers and
Make Merry at a Hotel Ryan
Banquet.
Minnesota Trotters aud Breeders Re-
scind the Resolution Concern
ing FoaIs.
County Commissioners GOVERNORS
Appointments - State Board
of Health.
wEIGHmAsTER RESIGNS
Because of Defects in the state
Grain Law.


Grain Law.
State Weighmaster Mattson. located at
st. Paul. sent his resignation of that posi-
ton to the board of railroad and warehouse
commissioners yesterday morning. In his
communication Mr.. Mattson gives his rea-
sons for so doing at some length, and gives
the results of his observation OF the work
ing of the law. AS Mr.. Mattson has been
located both at Duluth and st. Paul. and
has. therefore. had unusual opportunity for
studying the law in practice, his resignation
is given i'm full. Mr.. Mattson says:
10 the Board of Railroad and Warehouse
Observation-Disclosures: thereby tender
10 YOU my resignation of the appointment or
state wcighmaster, which i received at your
hands in July. at Breckenridge. In thus sew
ering my CO injection with the force whose
duty il is 10 administer the grain and ware
house law of the state / am not influenced
by any want OF sympathy for the law itself,
or the popular movement which resulted in
its enactment. ! believe the law is step IN
the right direction. and, knowing something
of the feeling of the producers, especially
wheat farmers throughout the state, and haY-
ing myself been a sufferer from, and close
observer of the evil practices which have
been so long in vogue in the grain trade,
know the people have looked on this law as
the one glilnner OF light and hope for a more
prosperous future TO the farming in
terests of Minnesota, and might say Dakota.
With the experience and observation gained
by service of four months as chief state
weighmaster ar Duluth and here in st. Paul
leads me to remark, however, that there are
serious defects in the law itself which have
no doubt will be brought to the attention of
the governor and legislature by your board
in proper time.
When the law was enacted it was supposed
by its friends that all elevators at the three
mol inf nf =
Duuth-to do business-must be licensed
and bonded and come under the laws as pub
Inc elevators. II seems the law. ]. G., the
grain and warehouse part, is so defective you
have not the power to enforce it, being one
thing in Duluth and quite another here. In
Duluth every grain warehouse and elevator
is run strictly under the law and your rules
and regulations are respected. During my
management of the weighing department at
the above port through the help of able as
sistantS we made the weighing n protection
10 all parties concerned and credit to
the service and state, receiving the
most fiattering Endorsement from the board
of trade and all the elevator companies. The
weighing and inspection service was more
than self-snstaining there and would be here
If the elevator companies had recognized the
law, or had your board the power to enforce
il. In ST. Paul the elevator owners and man
ayers do not and have
NOT REGARDED THE LAW
except as il suits them, have not taken out
licenses. are not bonded houses, but are rum
ming over the law, not under. as in Duluth.
What little the state gets here in feesXand
the months statement shows up intinitesi-
mally small-is sort Of charity loan from
which they expect manifold profit in re-
turn. Under existing circumstances the law
is imperative. / have no business with
these elevators or their owners. have abso-
lutely nothing 10 do here, and there is no
earthly reason why q state weighmaster
should be here. This alone is sufh-
cient reason for my resignation.
The law was not made for
nor intended TO create offices simply as sine
cures for men with nothing to do but draw
their salaries. II is more honorable to be a
poor farmer in the Red River valley than
hold a state Office under such conditions.
AT Minneapolis only two houses are public
and working strictly under the law. The
Millers' association has steadily refused to do
business under the law, claiming they were
not bound by it. and that the clause, the one
referring to the grain of different owners be-
ing mixed. did not apply TO their houses.
Owing TO this defect, you do not seem to have
the power to compel obedience TO the law in
their case, and thus they have been able not
only 10 defy the peoples will, but to actually
subvert the law to their especial benefit ana
profit, ard into q discrimination against Du-
luth, the only competitive wheat market we
have in the state against this powerful mo-
nopoly. Unless the law is speedily cor
rected by additional legislation, such
Il condition of affairs will never
apply TO another crop in Minnesota.
We have now handled about three-quarters
of the crop of 1885, and, Notwithstanding
serious defects in the grain and warehouse
law, the people of this state have received
substantial benefits from il. | mean more
particularly the producers and they should
hold fast with Il firm grip 10 what is already
secured. The railroad law has proven, under
your firm and wise management, OF especial
benefit. We have under it an open market.
which brings competition and in time will
correct many wrongs.
In tending this my resignation, ! will ex-
press the hope that the law may be so
amended and improved that under it ulti-
mately all the grain marketed in or through
this state will be graded and weighed by COM
petent, honest and impartial men, ami that
the time will come when the tiller of the soil
will be able TO exact and receive his just dues.
Yours respectfully, e. MArTsoN
1T WAS ACCEPTED.
The commissioners accepted Mr.. Matts0ns
resignation in the following complimentary
note to that official:
Dear Sir-Ihe board of railroad and ware
house commissioners acknowledge the receipt
of your letter of the LIST inst. resigning the
position of state weighmaster at this point.
In accepting your resignation the board bears
willing testimony TO the services YOU have
rendered at Duluth and in st. Paul in dis
charging the duties pertaining to the office
you have filed under the new grain law of
this state. Your intelligence, fidelity to the law
and 70 the public interests deserve nothing
but commendation from us and from the
people OF this state. The reason given for
your resignation is in our judgment highly
creditable 10 you, and will be appreciated by
all who value in any degree honesty and in
tegrity in public servants. In parting with
you the board expresses their high sense of
the delicacy which has actuated you in retiI-
ing at this time for the reason stated in your
letter. and joins with you in the expression
of the hope that the law may be so strength.
ened III the future as to justify and realize all
the expectations OF its friends and support
ers. Yours very truly,
E. 5. WARNER, Secretary
For the board.