St. Paul daily globe., 1890-04-19
INSPECTION OF GRAIN
State Grain Inspector, ClauSen
Makes His Report for the
Past Year.
Earnings for Weighing and
Inspecting Reach Nearly
$4,000.
Difficulties That Attend the
State Officers in Inspect
ing Grain.
Political Favopites Are Not
Given Positions in the
Department.

which refers to the railroads was pub
liShed last January, when the advance
sheets were out. The report was very
favorable one, showing that in the year
2S6 miles of new road had been con-
structed in this state. The total gross
earnings for the year ending June 80,
1889, were S25, ,225,57S, decrease for the
past year of 1920, 1898. The part Of the
report of interest which has not been
published refers to the grain inspection
and weighing. In speaking of short
ages the report says:
Complaint has often been made to the
commission with reference to shortages III
shipment of grain by vessels from the pub
lie elevators at Duluth to elevators in uf-
falo. not only during the past year, but in
previous years. This evil became so iuto1er-
able during the latter part of the year 1889
that it became necessary for the commission
to institute an inquiry into the causes pro-
ducing such discrepancies. The shipments
from the public elevators at Duluth are
weighed out by the state weighmasters. The
first INQUIRY, therefore. was directed to our
own system of weighing at Duluth. A COM
petent and experienced expert was sent there
to observe the operations of the department
at that point, unknown to the force
engaged there. He was instructed to
SIuUN Iu0 OpCIdllOH VI oloIO
for the purpose of determining if
there were any inaccuracies, the result
of carelessnes or lneXperlence. HIS report
TO the commission the result OF his obserVa-
tions. was to the effect that the system was
carefully, conscientiouSly and lntelllgently
administered under the direction OF the
state weighmaste1. and that if shortages oc-
Cured as alleged, it was not from any lack OF
efficiency, or care, or accuracy at Dulutn.
The commission then determined to send the
IN Rilf frnlO n the system
of weighing there The report of the expert,
l.. d. Berry, to the commission clearly shows
that the shortages which have been COM
planned of at Buffalo, result from faulty
and imperfect service at that point, and we
are of opinion that vessel owners and ele-
vator men should take such steps as are
necessary to secure better weighing service
at that port.
To this report is attached the fourth
annual report of Chief Gram Inspector
Clausen, covering the transactions OF
the department for the year ending
Aug. 81, 1889. The following is taken
from the report:
FINANCE.
The balance of money in the grain inspec-
ton fund, on Aug. 81, 1889. the close of the
crop year. was S2n, n,9O5.99, against $780,
1924 on the same date one year previous,
being decrease for the year OF 81, $50 AZ.
Prominent among the causes which have
COmDlQ6Q 10 llllS ISSulL WSIt Iue
largely decreased receipts of grain from
those of the year previous, resulting in ma
terialiy decreased earnings The total earn
ings from all sources for the past year were
S69,661.57, against 500, ,204.l1 the preced-
ing year, and the expenses SoS,94I.S9,
against SSl, 1866.
The total amount of wheat inspected at the
three terminal points. st. Paul, Minneapolis
and Duluth. for the year, were 1874 car
loads, or about AZ, Ill ,040 bushels, against
h,1ch ha1c no
year previous. IN coarse grains there was
quite perceptible increase in the years bus
mess as compared with the year before, the
receipts, including flax. being II, I44 cars,
against Z, ,756 cars in season OF lSS7-S; this
increase being attributable to the larger
movement of Southern corn to our markets.
formerly tributary to Chicago, a feature in
Northwestern grain business which gives
promise of constant increase, and which will
undoubtedly become an important item in
the future work of this department.
DIFFICULTIES OF INSPECTION.
In speaking of the difficulty of the in
spection, the chief inspector says: "a
bcareful examination of the statements
above presented, will disclose large
falling off in the amount of work done
by the department as compared with
the preceding season, amounting to
about 80 per cent. This decrease was
owing to the fact that in localities the
crop of Northern Minnesota and Da-
kota was injured, both in quality and
yield, by the blighting effects of rust,
and the phenomenal and unprecedented
frosts of Aug. IA and II, 1888. The re-
suit was crop very much spotted in its
character. and Of widely varying quail
ity, very difficult to handle, and which
taxed the judgment and energies of the
department to an extreme limit. These
:: Jon,onInh IN ant
of almost as large force of inspectors
as during the previous year."
Continuing, the report says:
INSPECTION AND WEIGHING FEES.
The established fees for the inspection and
weighing service have in one Or two in
stances been made the subject of comment,
it being claimed that they were too high a
tax All of the grain arriving at the termi-
nal points comes in carload lots; the average
number of bushels contained in each car is
increasing each year, a large proportion of
| the cars at the present time being loaded to
| their full capacity of 6ti0 bushels. The fee
tor inspection. on arrival, is % cents per car
| load, and for weighing 20 cents. The present
COST therefore, to the shipper of grain, is less
| than three-fourthS of a mill per bushel for
| this double service, which is comparatively
very insignificant. The fees are lower than
! in any other market in the country, being but
| 25 cents per car for inspection, against 35
| cents at Chicago, 90 cents at st Louis, 60
| cents at Port Arthur, and corresponding
scale of fees at other places. Our charges
| have not been any larger than was necessary
| to properly equip and maintain the depart
ment.
| APPEALS AND REINsPECTIoN.
| From the S731S car loads of all classes Of
| grain received during the year D. .l73 cars
! were held out for reiEspection. This does
| not fairly indicate errors in the work, as a
| great many calls for reinspection are made
| by commission merchants not ON account OF
| dissatisfaction with the Inspection, but for
| the purpose OF gaining tWenty-four hours
| extra time in which to dispose of their con-
| signments, an allowance OF an extra day
| being granted by the railroad companies in
| case of dissatisfaction with the original in
| spection. This rule has been so modified by
| the railroad companies that there is at the
| present time less proportion OF unWarrant-
! ed calls for reinspection. There were
| raised in grade 2,2S9 cars out of the above
number. a great many being on "llne grade, y"
and The chief deputies at the terminal points,
| in adjusting these cases. have uniformly OBJ
| served the settled policy of the department.,
| to give the benefit of the doubt to the ship
| per. The number of changes made in in
| Spection by the chief deputies more nearly
represent the errors MADE than anything
| else There were 2,49S such changes made
| during the past season out OF total OF
| rs, 734 cars, which would be about 3A per
cent or one car in thirty; certainly very
| favorable showing. There were four appeals
| to the railroad and warehouse commission
| during the season. in which the ruling of the
| department was sustained in three cases and
| oyerruled in one.
The report calls attention to an un-
abated evil Oh the part of railroad COM
panies of spreading the arriving grain
over miles of track, instead of cohcen-
trating in some specific place for the
purpose of inspection.
NECESSARY LEGISLATION.
The important changes and additions to
the Wareho Use and grain law submitted and
recommended by your honorable board at
| the last and previous sessions of the legls-
| lsture were, unfortunately, not obtained.
| The necessity for such amendatory legisla-
| ton which then existed is equally as urgent
| at the present time, and it is to be hoped that
at the next meeting of the state legislature
this department will be lifted out of its pres
ent state of embarrassment, caused by the
| absence of this and other needed legislation.
REGARDING APPOINTMENTS.
| From the Inauguration of the system OF
| state grain inspection, it has been the in
variable policy of the department. with the
| support of the present and previous boards
| of commissioners, to allow no competent,
| experienced men to be placed by new and
| inexperienced men. 1t is sometimes stated
/ hv misinf0rmed persons that inspectorships