The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1889-09-26
CHARGES FOR GRAIN INSPECTION.

1uo DUAukA DOAIV OI U3U0 u60 16V9ly
been in correspondence with the Mime
sofa railroad and warehouse commits
sioners regarding double inspection
charges for through shipments of grain.
This is matter of importance to Da-
kota people, and we give the substance
Of the reply made by the warehouse
commission in refusing to reduce the in
spection charges. The secretary says:
In considering the first proposition,
''that the charge of $3.50 per thou
sand bushels OF grain i'm and out Of
warehouses is too much Of tax upon
the producers and owners Of grain," I
would respectful y call attention to tho
fact that seven.eighths of the grain
handled at the terminal points is not by
the thousand bushels, but in car load
lots. The average number of bushels
contained in each car has increased each
year and is constantly increasing, a
large proportion of the cars arriving be-
ing loaded to their full capacity Of 6e5
bushels. Cars loaded with grain out of
store are practically all loaded to their
full capacity, and the average is $40
bushels. The fee for inspection has
never been increased from rs cents per
car load, for weighing 20 cents, for reg
istration nothing. This would make q
total Of 30 cents per car load of 600
bushels for in and 'out' inspection and
In and out weighing and inspection,
or in other words IL mills per bushel.
AS the producer or country shipper
practically has no interest after the first
or in inspection and weighing, the cost
to him in only one-half, or three-fourths
Of q mill per bushel. As to the second
proposition, that " the business can be
done for less" I will say that there
is steady and unavoidable in
crease each year in the expenses OF the
department., which is brought about, not
by the payment Of unduly large salaries
nor by the employment of an unneces-
sary number Of men, as the number of
men to be employed to properly perform
the work is determined by the number
of points to be covered where inspection
services are needed, and this in turn de-
pends upon the advent of new lines of
railroad, the multiplication of inspection
yards and the erection of new elevators.
The number of railroad yards has in
creased from four in 1855 to eleven at
the present time in Minneapolis alone,
and the number Of elevators from eight
to sixteen in the same period of time.
Delay in the work of inspection and
weighing means serious loss to these in
terests. At Duluth the number of points
to be covered has increased in similar
ratio. Duluth, with five railroads and
a dozen large elevators, has had no
larger force Of inspectors and weighsrs
than seemed absolutely necessary for
proper and prompt attention to the me-
cessities Of that market, and yet, with .
force reduced as far as prudence would
suggest, the earnings Of that branch Of
the department. will show by the close
Of the crop year about $1,000 below the
Total expenses for the crop year. The
salaries as we'll as the inspection fees are
ON lower basis than at Chicago, and no
higher than any other market.
II all grain arriving at Duluth, st. Paul
and Minneapolis came into one railroad
yard at each point and was unloaded at
one mammoth elevator. the cost Of per-
forming the work would be insignificant
compared with the cost under present
and prospective conditions.