St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-07-19
THE ELEVATOR LAW.

In two weeks more the act of the leg
lSlature regulating grain elevators in
this state, designed by Gov. NELSON to
meet the complaint of the farmers of
the state of unjust grades, dockage and
weights, will go into operation. Its
effects will be closely watched by all
parties. 1t has two aspects, its prac-
teal business side and its political side.
1t will thus attract the attention of the
men whose business it affects, the farm
ers and the elevator men, and 1t will be
watched with solicitude springing from
another motive by the politicians.
10 the elevator men it presents the
practical question of transactlng their
business under it. Can they receive
grain for storage and become respon-
sible for the delivery at any future time
of the quantity and quality called for
by their tickets, for the storage charges
fixed by the commission? Can they
safely become responsible for the de-
livery of the grain received at some
terminal elevator, with their Judgment
as to the grade and dockage of the
grain subject to revision by either the
official inspectors or the managers of
the terminals? viii it pay? If they
decide that they cannot safely or profit
ably transact their business as regu-
lated for them by the state, they will
undoubtedly refuse storage of grain,
and confine themselves to buying, in
which case the law will not apply to
them.
To the farmers the act presents also
the practical question of remedy for
the complaints which. justly or not,
they have been making for years against
the elevators and their methods. If
they can store their grain and order its
delivery at the terminal elevator-gen-
erouSly omitted from state regulation
they will have relief from whatever of
local eXtortion may have been practiced,
and be subjected only to the tender
mercies of the terminals, if, indeed, the
local elevator shall have their grain or
that of similar grade in the terminal.
If, however, the local elevator manager
should determine that he did not wish
to engage in storage business, but
preferred to buy the grain outright,
then the farmer will look in the act in
vain for any provision which will pre-
vent undergrading, or excessive dock
age or false weights. He will find him
self exactly where he was before the
law was enacted.
If this should be the case, he will
doubtless recall the assurances given
him last fall on the stump by Republic
an SpellbinderS that ''if' there were
any wrongs in the grain trade their
party was capable and certainly would
provide ample remedies; and. if he
should conclude that, if this was the
best that party could devise for him, it
was just as we'll to try change and let
some other master mechanics of law try
their hands at the job, he could hardly
be blamed.
The politicians will watch its opera
ton, too. On the Republican side there
is a gOvernorship and a senatorship
bound up in it. 1t is an open secret in
| political quarters that Gov. NELSON is
to run again for his present office, and,
| winning that, 10 contest the senatorship
with Senator WAsHBURN. If his ele-
vator law fails to bring the relief prom
ised, he can hardly expect the farmers
| OF the state to continue their confidence
! in him as constructive statesman. If
his act, with the unfortunate omission
from control Of the terminal elevators,
does not affect elevators buying grain,
but only the smaller concerns that have
to store grain, and thus does not touch
the evils complained of, his road to the
state house next year will be rough
and thorny one. The governors bill''
is thus heavily freighted craft, enter
ing on untried, and possibly tumultuous
| seas.