The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-02-13

. law. II backed b. pu11ic sentiment,
wouzd ~ at izsfsag benk1x. Unless hDw-
eves. Is w1s thus supported, = woeid fad
IS Do nany o. Ike nature and purpose.
==-..s-......---
f0G INsrECriOx az 0HAIN.
Go measure u more Vital impprtancs
20 me state - iarge. and the grain
prodxsc1ng section Of Il ia particular.
has been iusroduced % far this session.
O. the legislature fhan che bin intro
ducsd b. Hon. 81. ". Miles. Of Dong
sas county. providing for stzks inspec-
ton Of eFafn and regulating ehe weigh
Ing OF the same. T1s1 hi WA pul-
Hsked IN iast Sundays rust-1nselsi-
Eencer.
Up 70 the present tizne - handling
" 90 crops Of siss state has been done
IN the most careless MANNER. without
any syseem. and rssuiting IN general
dsssattsfActson 10 the trade - well a.
tins producer and ns1ddlernn. In the
faii OF the year. and during the market
ing OF this crop. grain OF all kinds has
poured into the Sound terminals con-
signed to commission men, warehouse
companies and merchants with prac-
tscaiiy only ore. Or az the outside two
buyers OF any size. outside Of the small
demand from the local mills The ex-
prters graders have been On hand to
examine the wieax. especially - 10 fts
grade. and naturally would find the
slightest faw and grade 4 down &C
coSaangly. This elevator and ware
house ownes have not dared to voice
their opinion a. to grade AZ against the
exporters. knowing that they would
have TO seM TO fhern, resulting un-
du1Itedly IN q. material loss % the
sal1pT,er. Further than this. on the past
seasoa.s crop. owing to this rigid grad
ing 5000 tons. or ore million and a
hat bushels. Of wheat has passed
through Tacoma and Seattle en- route
10 Sar Francisco. consigned direct
there BIZ country shippers and farmers
who felt aggrseyed az the treatament re-
ceived AZ the hands OF Sound buyers,
only to be n,ulcted by the California
buyers. who. when the grain reached
there chained Il was not up to sample,
and cut them down to cents per
bushel On the price promised at the
time OF shipment. IT Is estimated that
the driving away of this vast block of
wheat from the Sound markets has cost
the parties in interest In this state not
less than $4,000
Mr. Miles has framed his bin 30 that
IN the fu<airc nothing OF this kind can
happen. He plans the appointment OF
q competent state grain Inspector. TO be
appointed by the governor. who shall
ba q grain expert, absolutely disinker-
ested. who shall act as umpire In the
matter OF grading and whose deputies.
under his personal supervision. shall
grads every car OF wheat and other
grain received at the terminal points In
the state.
lie recognizes the rights OF the DIFF
ferent interests involved. and creates
his commission by selecting q prona-
nent grain man OF Eastern Washing
ton and a leading exporter. or repre-
sentative OF such firm on the Sound,
the former OF whom viii protect the in
terests OF the producer and the latter
the interest OF tho exporter In the mat
ter Of grades at the commencement Of
each season. the chief inspector to be
the third commissioner.
The duties OF this commission viii be
primarily TO determine the grades OF
the different grains for the ensuing sea-
con based upon samples received from
different sections OF the state. Some
criticism has arisen az to the personnel
of this commission, but 1t seems emf
nently fair that all parties dlrectly in
terested SHOULD have voice In the
formulating OF the grades upon which
the crop would be bought and sold
The conditions Ia the state OF WASH
ington are different from those which
obtain. say in Minnesota, where there
are practically az many buyers as there
are sellers. In this state, with the ex-
ception Of the local mills. there are only
one or two buyers Of grain Cor export.
Were the state older, Its finances in bet
ter shape. warrausing large appro-
priatson. or were the volume OF grain
sufficiently large to pay the expense. It
would be perhaps preferable to have an
entirely dissntcrested commission, hired
by the year. In the place OF these sug-
gested. bart under existing cfrcurl-
stances and with economy the order Of
the day, tt would seem that the plan
proposed Is not only practicable, but
desirable. A careful estimate OF the
revenue to be collected warrants the
belief that the state grain department..
under the workings Of the Niles bill.
viii be self-ssstainsng The nominal
appropriation asked for will be needed
only at the start. as the commission
VIII ultimately be eh!e 80 take care OF
s,eatf. ard possibly accnnglnte a small
surplus which will apply to the next
season. and result IN the fees being re-
caced.
TIE department viii also have under
its supervision al the scales On which
grain IS weighed. and every owner
thereof viii have TO secure a neerse
frogs the chief Inspector and take an
oatsa 70 correctly weigh all grain rasss~f
over his scales. This IS a modification
cs TIE Minnesota law. bat viii be ber,e.
ffcsssl ard a step In the right direction
although very ut4fs xagffsrsz~.ea 49,