The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1889-08-17
STATE INSPECTION OF GRAIN.

Ouri for many years., III us material
iIect upo the prosperity of the farm
rs, than the law passed by the thirty
fifth general assembly providing tor the
Inspection of grain, going into and
oming out of elevators and ware
houses, by officers of the state.
Senator Vest said some weeks ago
hat If the recent legislature had done
lothing else but pass the electoral re-
Form law it would have deserved well
of the people and have earned every
cent that its maintenance cost. So it
may be said of this law with fully as
great justice, and with more certainty
because its effects are in no way ex-
%perimental, having been e~minently sue
cessful and satisfactory in IL sister
state OF Illinois for seventeen years.
There is no municipality so poor that
1t does not maintain a public scale and
weighmaster, with laws TO test weights
aud a bond to protect the public, III the
delivery OF hay, corn and oats, live
stock, coal, &c. And yet for years the
farmers of Missouri have permitted
their grain to be weighed at the cities
where it was sold by a system in which
there was no responsibility to them,
| aud by persons underline control of the
| interest adverse to themselves. No
| doubt the gentlemen receivers have of
ten been honest, but even angels should
not be subjected to such temptation.
Talk of railroad legislationl At least
what the railroad gouged out OF the
shipper was known, and could be pro-
tested against. but in the system to
which we allude the shipper had nc
recourse except to his commission
merchant who nine times in ten. would
simply say that he could not go behind
the weights furnished him by the eleva'
tor people. Obviously, under such al
arrangement, there was never any rea
son for an elevator to suffer by short
ages, whatever the frequent experiences
of shippers might be.
1t was not alone by discrimination
in weights that the farmer lost. There
was also the pernicious system of mix
ing grains so long in vogue. Where
this was regulated by the Spectator
merchant.e elevator owner, wheat tina
went into the elevator a high number
would come out a low number 2, hav'
ing impaired to a number 3 its owl
higher grade, but having itself lost b.
the operation, say n or two cents pc
bushel, frequently more. What Farme
A lost by this mixing Merchant
gained. So long as Merchant b hell
this little string, to pull every day o
two. there was no earthly reason VIII,
!, he should not become rich, and tina
very quickly. No one would more re
joice at his prosperity than we. were
} not gained at the expense OF peopl
3 who are nearer and dearer to u
than he.
Say that this particular scheme wa
not worked, and the temptation to
was so open that it could not we" ;
| resisted, then so far as the city of 81
Louis was concerned, another %injustic
was done the producer: Win tn
interest of the exporter his wheat wa
, graded too high. Merchant G, TO
instance, sells a great deal of graf
abroad. He has customers in Liverpool
England; In Dunkirk, France in Han
/, burg. Germany, &c. To these custom
ers he represents that the grade {
8 wheat in st. Louis ia higher than
Chicago or New York. He uses h
Influence on 'change and in his elevate
hoard to make it so, and he thereh
easily secures the trade of the Live
pooI. Dunkirk and Hamburg merchant
3 Does this benefit the producer Of II
wheat or corn2 Not a dollar; 1t is 40
J. on 'change at the price fixed nv II
ticker which records it's price in Chic
u 90 and New York. The difference !
8 that Merchant 9 makes his profit at Il
expense of the farmer whose whe
was undergraded in order to enab
him TO make the sales.
II This latter evil is not so prevalent
st. Louis now as it was some yea
: ago, as attention being drawn to
grain which should have gone to s
Lonis was diverted to other place
The grades there have consequent
been reduced to about those which pr
1t vail at Chicago.
~ But the farmer desires to see both
'g these evils entirely stopped. He do'
a want any advantage, but at the sar
IN time he desires that nc advantage oh
be taken of him. He asks that
weights shall be recorded by disinte
:. ested persons, just as they would
were he to buy a load of coal In tow
: or sell a load Of hay. And he furtf
demands to be protected from Mkt
!, OF grain which shall injure him to be
eft another.
These projections the law propos
2 Ii give him and the commission
= Who Have Its enforcement in charge s
in fnU sYmpathy with its purpose
= bffey are determined and faithful dc
IS tors, who bave studied the discs
ly which they have to treat, and who
not propose to resort TO the sami'
similibus clraatuT.
Millions of dollars have been lost
the producers of this state by the wa
>, of this law. Somebody made these m
u lions. Naturally when their teat
{ , taken from them they bawl. 1t was
be expected that they would have co
= plants to make az SOON as the u
should be put into effect-they and t
organs e which they exercise an i
in ~fuerce. 1t 10 only astonishing Il
in their "kicks' have not been me
70 vigorous. Let us examine O little
II. they have any force.
mi First, we are told that Mr.. Jasper
lie Burke, who has been appointed cb
er grain inspector, is a politician, and &C
ty sequently unfit for the place. This
a very serious charge in a count
where every nan and woman is a pc
%tician; where the laws of the state
= anire that the child at school shall