Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1893-05-26

has sold them his wheat has sus-
tanned a loss OF 10 to IL cents per
bushel in price alone. These ara facts
which farmers by a little invcstiga-
tfon can determine for themselves
and the transaction appears tome less
honorable than a barefaced steal.
While discussing the matter Of grades
it is perhaps well to mention a sub
ject connected Herewith which In
cresses the profit Of the warehouse
companies to a considerable degree,
namely; at some point located toward
the terminal end Of their territory
they erect cleaning houses equipped
with proper machinery for the rapid
unloading, cleaning and r~eloading of
grain at the minimum of cost which
is estimated at one pound of wheat
per bushel, and this dockage to cover
cost Of cleaning is deducted from the
farmers wheat although 1T be abso-
lutely clean. BY this cleaning. pro-
cess the dirt and foreign matter is
removed, very often improving the
grade which gives an added profit, be-
sides making a considerable saving in
freight; the screenings are ground,
mixed with bran and shorts and sold.
Recognizing the injustice that is often
inflicted upon the producer in the
dockage Of grain, our present legisla-
ture passed a law prohibiting the
~dockage Of grain. While I hope for
good results, / do not now see how
any are to be obtained. The law
will probably do away with dockage
as now practiced only to revive it in
another form substantially as follows:
Suppose first the nominal price of
wheat to be 60 cts. per bushel or one
cent per pound. Jones hauls a load
of wheat that the buyer estimates to
contain three pounds OF dirt per
bushel, or only f1fty-seven pounds net
sof wheat in each sixty pounds gross.
It will logically follow that the price
would be %flfty-seven cents without
.dockage; while Smith with aload con-
tanning five pounds of dirt would re-
ceive but flfty-fiye cents, in other
words the price is locked. In all
cases the farmer would be obliged to
accept the price offered or not sell.
The matter does not seem c~ontrolla-
BILE by legislative enactment, and in
stead Of proving a benefit, I fear for
several reasons, it may offer an excuse
for additional extortion. 1t is accept
ed as good business policy that when
you find a man who proves to be ex-
tortionate, deceitful or dishonest, to
.curtail your business relation with
him, and If possible drop him alto
.gether, and the application Of the
same principle may perhaps prove the
most rapid and effectual in solving
this problem. I find that many
farmers feel that they are treated I'M
fairly in marketing grain and gener-
ally blame the local buyers. This ]
believe in the majority of cases to be
unjust, although I can hardly see how
honorable men knowingly become the
willing tools to mulcth their neigh.
,bors. 1t should be remembered that
the local buyer is under bonds to his
employers and must strictly follow
their instructions-that he generally
buys on a monthly salary and has Ef
pecuniary interest save that of deliv.
ering such amount of grain and Of
such grade as his books show he has
purchased. Should he purchase 9
dozen cars OF wheat as No. 2 which
his employers sell as No. 1 he receives
M part Of the profit of the transac
tion and is generally unaware of it
but should he pay the price of No.
for a car that grades No. 2, he soo1
hears from headquarters. By such
methods the companies keep the
local buyer on nettles and constantly
stimulated to carefully guard theil
Interests. In my own experience ]
have known but one buyer whom ]
consider willfhllyaand needlessly dis
honest, and { believe in q great ma
.joritys OF cases they do as well by tn,
farmers, % due regard for the perma
nency Of their situation, their bono
and their employer will permit
They are mere agents and We mus
look beyond themfand tothe compan,
itself, Often. aided and abetted bysth.