St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-09-02
Commissioners and MillerS
in a Cross Fire Of Di-
verging Views.
Grain Inspector Clausen En-
tiers Into a Defense of His
Proposal.
Opposition Arguments Met
and AnSWered---PillS-
bury's Say.

The entire board of railroad and
warehouse commissioners was present
in the senate chamber at the capitol
yesterday morning when the meeting
to establish the grades of Minnesota
grain for the coming year was called to
order. Besides the commissioners State
Grain Inspector Clausen was Oh hand,
and delegation of millers consisting
of c. A. Pillsbury. George w. Van
Duzen, William Petit and George Bag
ley, of Minneapolis, and A. d. Thomp-
son, of Duluth, was present to fight the
suggestions made by Mr.. Clausen in his
recent letter.
This letter was at once read by the
secretary, and the grain inspector pro-
ceeded to further establish his views
and Offset some of the criticisms made
upon them by the millers. His argu-
ment. in the main, was as follOws:
Clausen's Argument.
There can be no argument as to the
Importance of preserving inspection
rules intact and avoiding changes, eX-
cept in cases of Imperative necessity.
The desirability of maintaining fixed,
uniform rules and methods, and the
danger of an impairment of confidence
in our grades when changes are made
cannot be questioned. Slight changes in
the character of the crops, which cut no
important figure in the general result,
should not be allowed to interfere with
a system of grades once thoroughly es-
tabliShed, and which are well
understood by buyers and sellers,
and which experience has proven
to be wise, equitable and satisfactory.
But l contend that when conditions are
known to exist that render change i'm
perative, and when it can be conclus-
lively demonstrated that gross injustice
of far-reaching extent is perpetrated by
Withholding such relief as the situation
clearly demands, then such considera-
lions as the temporary inconvenience to
the trade, and the apprehensions as to
the effect of such changes upon the
markets of the world, which are always
exaggerated, are of no moment in COM
pariSOn.
My recommendation. briefly stated,
is that the slight modification of one
pound per buShel should be made in the
test weight of No. northern, No. 2
northern and No. wheat, which the
present rules require should be not less
than 81, 56 and 81 pounds, respectively,
to the end that hard, fiinty wheat which,
outside of the slight defect in weight, is
otherwise superior in milling value to
the average quality of the grades men
toned, should be claSSed in those
grades. It's my honest personal opin-
ion that the crop cannot be successfully
and satisfactorily handled by country
buyer, or intelIigently and fairly graded
by the state inspection department I'M
less such modification is secured.
a Misrepresentation.
One of the arguments advanced in OPP
position is that 1.-The farmers will lose
dollars where they make cents by the
change, as the price will simply adjust
itself to the grade" This argument
evidently preSupposes that it is pro-
posed to change the rules so as to admit
an inferior quality of grain into high
er class or grade. This is entirely
misrepresentation, as careful reading
of the amendment proposed will demon
| strate. 1t is not proposed to debase the
| quality of the grades, but rather to
| strengthen them, by including class
of grain of superior milling quality.
Ii this position is correct as to hard,
| finty wheat weighing fifty six pounds
| per bIshel, then the argument increases
in force when applied to the lower
| grades. For instance, No. 2 northern
rule admits all starchy wheat if of re-
! QuilCu NClSAL, nv. vital.
| present rules, includes all inferior,
| shrunken wheat weighing not less than
fifty-four pounds per buShel. Other
markets have had this same question to
| deal with, and how have they disposed
of 1t? We find by reference TO the
| Chicago inspection rules, that in that
market they have abolished the test
| weight altogether. except in the case of
No. 8 wheat, and the standard test
weight of that grade is one pound be-
low our own, viz: fifty-three pounds.
| Chicago is willing to accept our soft,
| trashy, inferior wheat at No. grade
| and at one pound per bushel lighter
weight than our own arbitrary rules re-
! quire, and yet protest is made by Min
nesota men when it is proposed to give
| the world a 53-pOuDd, all hard, tlinty
wheat for No. wheat. We find that
the grades of hard spring in the market
of st. Louis are of the same liberal
standard. The test weight required in
the New York market is but $50 on No.
8 Northwest spring wheat, so that it
seems conclusive that our standard of
weight can and should Justly be modi
| fed to fairly inspect this crop.
The Country Buyer.
| Another argument used is that the
country buyer now understands the
| grades, and any change will confuse
| him. | contend that this argument is
not we'll taken, as the amendment to
the rules proposed states clearly and
| explicitly just what the grades and the
| test weights are TO be, and instead of
confusing the country buyer, the adop-
ton of the change will enable him to
thoroughly understand the necessary
qualifications for each grade, while
failure to adopt it will leave him f1oun-
| deriug in sea of uncertainty, causing
an immense amount of dissatisfaction
on the part of his employers, as we'll as
the farmers, with his work. This will
lead to a large loss of business to the
elevator companies, as the dissatisfac-
ton will largely increase track ship
| mentS.
Again, the proposed change in the
| rules is SO clear and explicit that the
Eastern buyer also need have no appre-
tensions as t0 the quality of grain heals
entitled to receive.
One argument is that a No. 2 hard
| grade should be instituted. The only
objections L will advance to this propo-
SitiOn are that this would only provide
for the fifty-six pound wheat, while the
hard wheat weighing ffty-three and
tifty-five pounds, which should properly
| be carried in the grades of No. 3 and 2
northern respectively. would be unpro-
vided for: and again, by interpolating a
new grade it would be necessary for
the grain trade to throw aside all of its
ledgers and record. books covering the
business of 1900 interior markets, as
well as at the terminals, and adopt new
books ruled to admit the new grade. [
can see no advantage in this over the
recommendations offered, but on the
contrary, needless loss to the inspec-
ton department and the trade gener-
ally.
During his discussion Mr.. Clausen
showed sample OF wheat which he
said showed grade No. northern, al
though it did not weigh within several
pounds Of the standard weight.
Enter the sEillers.
A. ID. Thompson said he could not
agree with MIR. Clausen. He said:
Your argument reads we'll and sounds
all right, but when you get to the wheat