Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1888-09-20
M Change I'm Grain Grades.

The board of Minnesota railroad and ware
house commissioners rave set at rest all
speculation as to recent rumoTs ofa~ proposed
change Of grade in grain. The old grades OF
last year have been adopted without any
change, and Mr.. Becker, one of the commits.
%sioners, gives it out straight that no change
has been contemplated at any time,
md that no ehan&e has been suggest
ed, either in or out of the commission.
On the contrary, he says, all the par
ties who have addressed the board on thesub-
ject have expressed themselves in avoro of the
existing grades. In connection with this
very important subject and the grain in
terest in general throughout the North
west, the following communication from ex.
Chief Grain Inspector X. C.. Burdick to Hon.
Horace Austin, chairman of the board, will
be read with interests and profit, no doubt:
DULUTH, Sept. 8, 1SSS.-Hon. Horace Aus
tin-Dear Sir: Replying 20 your telegram
of this date, in which you say yon would like
my OPINION of what changes are necessary
to present established grades of grain. ] re
spectfully offer these suggestions for your
careful consideration:
You WILL L think, agree with me, that the
mere matter of grade is not a measure or
standard of value. It represents only a
standard of quality, and by these grades,
after they are well known and the standard
maintained, the article is sought for, and its
price fixed after the quality" or its mercan-
tile value is established, and in order that
this mercantile value be established perman-
emily the grade must befXed, and once fixed
it should be held rs uniform as it is possible
to do, and then both the buyer and seller can
operate Understandings, and il this is n OF
done, then the result is dissatisfaction, dis
appointment and disaster to all concerned.
Again, the raising or lowering of the stand
ard of quality Tor grades) does not benefit
the farmer TO the extent of a dollar, for il
brings to him just what it is worth for CON
sumption and no more, and he is the party
you ARE most called on to protect, for he, a
thousand miles way, busy preparing for an
other years work, is entirely dependent on
others to afix the standard Of value on his
production. And vet, while ~endeavoring TO
protect the producer, you should not lose
sight of the purchaser, ms he stands ready
to purchase it with his money for what
it is worth, and he cannot possibly do
more. Hence, if you lower your standard
of quality Tor grade), you necessarily de-
crease its mercantile value, for il is worth so
much and no more, no matter what grade
you call it, and the producer will not be ben
Gifted, but impoverished thereby. II will be
like tho fiat dollar; calling it a dollar does
not by IN means make it n dollar. Lower
your grade of No. l hard wheat to admit of
10 or 10 per cent of frosted wheat Cor any
other imperfection) and you decrease the mer-
camille value of that grade and benefit no
body.
The same rule holds good with the No. l
Northern grade, which is recognized as the
milling wheat. Lower that grade, and it's
value or price will be lowered as sure as the
sun rises and sets. Hence, | argue the neces-
tity for maintaining the grades as they now
stand intact. The lower gra les as now es-
tablished will take care of the frosted wheat
The state grades are known and under
stood perfectly in all the principal wheat
markets of the world, the millions of bushels
are bought and sold each year upon those
grades, and perfect satisfaction exists, as
witness the three years they rave been in
operation, and to now change them where
nobody would be benefited would. | claim,
work more harm than good.
| mus quality the remark that no one
would be benefited, as by lowering the No. /
hard grade, there will be one class of people
benefited thereby, which is the middle man.
as when any strictly No. ! hard wheat does
show itself il will be Immediately placed in a
special blu and sold by sample for q higher
price than your No. l hard, and this special
binningS wheat of any grade has n tendency
to depreciate hat grade which is left in store
and is the ane and bugbear of the inspector
and elevator owner. So the farmer who il
fortunate enough to AVE good prime No. L
hard wheat gets only "A grade" price, and is
not benefited, while the middle man makes
oil he can out out oft, andis benefited.
Trusting you will receive these suggestion
in the spirit in which they are offered. and
thanking you for your consideration shown
me, | remain very truly yours.