The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-10-24

-
ent laws were enacted In the discus
sion of the grain situation L am quite
sure | could make good use OF such
figures" ANs.-'The figures are con-
tanned in the annual reports of the
State Railroad and Warehouse Com
mission. They are as follows, omit
ting cents.
1855 a mos)...... sa7.Osa 1891. .... slo9.652
1856 81 Al lM3 ... I Ia3 1gi
49, ,SS: '..-'''''' Sa ~ l-o III
1850 ......... G966f Total. -. ss49,9So
1890 .............. 103204
This is up to the year ending August
81, 1893. To get at the real cost it
would be proper to add interest OF at
least per cent from the time reports
we're made Gown to the present, which
will swell the amount to about 81 ,000,-
600. This sum has all been expended
in conducting the department, except
$l5,277 for the purchase of a site for
the state elevator in Duluth-bought
before the law authorizing it was de-
7542 on hand Aug. 81, 1893, against
ss4.753.O5 on hand one year before
The excess of the disbursements over
receipts was due in part to a reduction
of inspection charges from 20 to 10
cents a car, and the purchase OF the
elevator site. Farm. Stock & Home.
AS we said recently this whole sys-
tenn of inspection and weighing is
principally for the benefit of the
wheat buyers. When the farmer
comes to the elevator, near his home,
to sell his wheat, there is no officer Of
the state to inspect it, grade it or
weigh it. He can be cheated out of
one-fourth of his load and be utterly
without defence. But after the local
dealer has bought his wheat, and
shipped it to Minneapolis, st. Paul or
Duluth, then to defend himself
against a bigger thief. who might
cheat him out of all he took from the
farmers, the state kindly steps in and
taxes the farmers, over one million
dollars in nine years, to protect the To-
cal buyers: or to protect the terminal
wolves from each other. We should
advocate the abolition of the whole
system but for the fact that in that
case the local dealers, having no pro-
lection fr1fn their big bellied-b reth-
ern, of tie terminal points, would
stick it tt. the farmers still moro I'M
mercifully TO protect themselves.
But white the buyers tax the farm
ers to protect themselves from each
other, ia there no way for the farmers
to prttSct themselves from the
buyers:
Ten years ago-yes, fifteen years
ago,-we proposed in the Legislature
a system of local inspection of wheat.
Our plan was something like this:
Let the State Board of Railroads and
Warehouses, which already exists, es-
tablish the grades, as they do now.
Then let the people of each county
elect grain inspector. He will re-
ceive his instructions from the State
Board, with samples of grain. The
County Inspector shall be paid a
moderate salary, say $500 or $1,000 a
year, out of the county funds. He ap-
points at each town, where wheat is
bought, a deputy inspector. Let him
be some man, probably merchant,
familiar with wheat. and in whom the
people have confidence. If A. B.,
farmer, brings in a wagon-load OF
wheat, and has dispute with G. D..
the buyer, as to whether it is No. l, OF
| No. 2, or No. 3, the farmer appeals to
E. f. the local inspector. He decides
between the conflicting interests, and
is paid, say 10 cents, or % cents, for
each wagon load so inspected. II
either party is dissatisfied he appeals
to the county inspector; or to the
state INSPECTOR a package of the
wheat is sealed up and sent to the
| county inspector or to St. Paul; the
load or loads are taken temporarily at
the inspectors estimate, and the mat
ter is finally adjusted by the decision
of the state inspector, with a right t6
a still farther appeal, if necessary, tC
the State Board The same local in
spector should be weigh master an6
should be paid liberal sum for any
case of false-scales which he may de
tect.
1t was urged that the local inspec
tor might make mistakes. True; but
the buyers, as it is now, may purposely
make worse ones; and his mistakes are
always in favor of himself. In the
conflict of personal interests the pre-
sumption would be that the local in
spection would be impartial. II he
joined in to rob the farmers the coun
ty inspector could remove him and ap
| point another.
But the chief objection was the ex
pense. replied that the only addi.
tional outlay chargeable to the tax
payers would be the salaries of the
county agents. Say that fifty counties
availed themselves Of the law and
paid 81 900 each to county inspector
that would be $4,000 year. divided
among 100000 people, or about the
third part of a tenth Of a cent TO,
each person. And even this need not
come out Of the taxpayers: it could bt
taken from the present inspection
fund, Of Is cents on car Of LOO