St. Paul daily globe., 1891-06-09
ERIC GIVES A FEW POINTERS.
Olson Is Not Satisfied With the
Wheat INSPECTION.

Wheat Inspection.
When the wheat committee got to
work yesterday morning Eric Olson
was called to the stand and questioned
as to what he knew Of buying and SELL
ing wheat at the country warehouses
and elsewhere. When asked if he had
ever had reason to complain of the local
buyers he replied that he had been well
enough treated. He remembered once
taking lot of wheat to the elevator
that had pigeon seed in it. The grain
was tested and he was fairly treated.
He knew of no wrong-d0ing of his own
knowledge. He thought wheat should
be sold Oh its merits, and that facilities
should be afforded the farmers to clean
their own wheat at the local ele-
vators, thus doing away with
heavy dockage. He had shipped
two cars of wheat himself; on
one he received No. hard and on the
other No. 1 Northern. He found no
fault with the grade, but thought the
dockage was:rather heavy. Mr.. Olson
stated that he considered the Minneapo-
lis elevators to be as deep III the mud
as the Duluth elevators were in the
miIe. He referred to the Holcombe
stealing and also to a report that oats
lad been stolen from Elveator A l, a
public elevator, and placed in Elevator
n 2, private warehouse. He had this
on the authority of Tom Lucas, whom
he had asked to investigate the matter.
Lucas III turn had heard it from some
one else. Mr.. Olson considered Mr..
Pillsbury "half bear and half buIl'
MIR. Olson did not approve of the way
in which the investigation had been
conducted either. He thought Mr..
Rupley should have been placed Oh the
stand first and the defendants been re-
Quired to present their case first. He
was willing to stake his reputation as
an expert accountant that the work of
the clerks of the house committee was
correct as far as they had had time to
complete the work.
Il. Z. Barry was the next witness
called. He testified as to the conditions
of the scales in the Duluth elevators.
They were usually found in good con-
dition, he said. Occasionally there was
variance, sometimes in favor of the
elevator and sometimes against it.
He thought the average was as
fair to the seller as the buyer.
Chief Weighmaster G. M. Reese, of
Minneapolis, took the stand, and testi-
fed as to the stealing of wheat from
cars on the track in Minneapolis.
i IOIO Wdo d ldI &c duiOuIlG Vi III UOtle, lie
said, and it was hard to secure convic-
tlons. In many cases the grain was
stolen bushel or so at time by boys.
Several thieves had been arrested, and
they received only light fines Oh short
terms of Imprisonment, in accordance
with the gravity of the particular in
Stahce In which they were detected.
same prisoners had, doubtless, stolen
hundreds of bushels in the same way.
The stealing in this wise amounted to
thousands OF bushels yearly.
Letters were received during the day
from the experts. reporting fine progress.
One was also received from Stockwell,
who was sent up to assist them in the
work, lutimating that the experts were
progressing so slowly with the work
that the elevator men could, If they so
desired, cover up any Irregularities on
the books.
An adjournment was taken until 10
o'clock this morning.