St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-12-03
Undergradrd Grain.
To the Editor of tine Globe.

q lnc ENltOT VI the OlOhc.
The time seems OppOrtune TO eOllate
several incidents bearing on the capacity
for remedial legislation of the party in
whose wisdom the majority of the voters
of the state so far have pinned their
faith. The season is also fit one for
their consideration, ana | offer only the
importance of the question for intrud
ing on your space.
Prior TO 1885 the farmers of the state
made complaint of unfair dealing by
the local buyers, who were operating
the elevators. These complaints were
of dOckage, draws" and undergrading.
The legislature ol that wear considered
the matter, aud the outcome was a law
that meriJed the criticism that il
was drafted by the Millers' asso-
citation. It. provided only for an
inspection at terminals. Meeting the
grain commission l asked them how
they proposed to remedy the undergrad
ing of country elevators. Mr.. Murdoch
said that they had been considering
that point; that the law was defective,
and that all they could do was to send
out a weekly statement to be posted III
the local elevator, showing the gradingS
at the terminals of grain received the
previous week. Ii these circulars were
ever sent out | can imagine the smile
thev must have called 10 the face of the
elevator men. In 1851 this law was
greatly improved In size, and warm
places We're provided for large num-
Der of needy ''bOys." But the inspec-
ton remained as before at the ternin-
ais.
The Democratic party, in its platform
last year, called the attention of the
voters to this stupid piece of legislation.
1t said:
tine only remedy Republican legis-
lature offered was the present cumbrOus
and inefficient grain inspection act.
which. if honest. is stupid; and if not,
is maleVolpnt They answered the APP
peal for relief from Il grinding mOnOp-
oily by continuing the monopoly; for
an open market by one sealed tn cOmpe-
titiOm-and they armed the farmer
against the undergratlin@ of his grain
by the remarkable provision for its in
SpectiOn at q point hundreds of miles
from, and at time days after he had
sold it TO the local buyer. This master
piece of-legiSlative stupidity Or deceit
not only Injuries the class it assumes TO
protect, but adds another to the usual
uncertainties OF the market, against
which the local buyer can only guard
by diminishing the price"
The Democrats permitted this plank
of their platform 10 drop into silence
during the campaign. and the only at
tentiOn iJ received was from Commits
siOner Gibbs, who, in one or two
speeches, arraigned the Democrats as
the foe of the farmers for thus attack
ing law which was solely and So be-
efficiently in their interest.
Recently Hon. knute Nelson was in
Dul nth in the interests of his farmer
constituents, who, he said. were cOul-
planning again of the undergrading of
their grain.
see, in my exchanges, that the bust
ness men of Alexandria had met and
discussed the same complaints.
Farm. Stock and Home. in its last
issue. says: THE Minnesota state in
SpeciOr OF wheat says he can't help it
if country buyers do not properly grade
wheat as it comes from the farmers.
The country buyers say they are cOm-
PEELED TO undergrade TO protect them
selves in the terminal markets. But,
while this pretty little quarrel is going
on. millions of bushels of No. hard are
being sold as No. or No. 2 northern to
the enormous enrichment of millerS,
shippers and elevator men, and the i'm
poveriShment of wheat growers"
Recently you published the prOSpec-
tuS of the syndicate, which has now the
control of the elevator systems of the
state, issued to bait investment of Eli
glish capital, in which the profits of the
elevators were stated TO have been from
20 to 30 per cent.
1t is as evident to-day that this great,
cumbersome machine, built by Repuhli-
can legislatures to prevent injury to the
farmers, has failed, as it was said in 1885
that it would fail. As two legislatures
of that party have now exhausted their
ingenuity to make the machine work, it
seems useless to continue efforts in this
line. Is it not proper time for the
farmers to consider the simpler plan
suggested in the Democratic platform?
That was that the railroad should re-
sumo function they had abdicated to
others, and build, own and operate the
elevators along the several lines as
they operate their stock yards and ware
houses for the shippers of other COM
modities. Adam Smith. in his Wealth
of Nations notes how cumbersome are
the first devices of men to effect their
purposes, and how thereafter the ten
dency is in the direction of simplicity.
This is true of mechanics and of legisla-
ton. Is not the simpler Democratic
plan worthy of discussion? Respect
fully, P. j. SMALLEY.
Caledonia, Mimi, Nov. %.