Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-01-14
STATE GRADING OF WHEAT
A DETRIAIENT.

~ l. ~ IL >h1a1A D1Aro VI w 1lA1A1
A DETRIAIENT.
A correspondent of the St.
Paul Globe from Mankato, John
Diamond, writes q forcible letter
in which he very clearly shows
that the present system Of state
grain inspection is an expensive
and cumbersome devise, and pos
tive injury to farmers, both be-
cause it's methods make the grad.
ing OF grain more a matter of
chance than anything else, and
because the cost of the inspection
falls in the end on the producers,
During the past year the numb
er of cars of grain inspected on
arrival at the terminals was ISL, :
756; number Of cars inspected in
to lake vessels, 42,062. Total
cost Of the inspection for the
year, S142,G05. Says Mr.. Dia-
mOnd:
Il consider this inspection of
grain as an imposition on the
farmer, an unnecessary cost. a
special tax, and a burden and dis
elimination against the farmer.
It is nothing else than a tax or
their property to support the
party friends Of those in power.
What a mistake the farmers
made in the inauguration of this
accursed grain inspection law,
one of the many that they com
mitted by the election of a repub-
lican governor and legislature!
The law furnishes the governor
with q power to distribute
through the commission, soft
snaps for the benefit of the rep
ublican party. If ever there was
a necessity for a change of state
administration, the time is al
hand. We want the burden OIL
taxes lessened. We must make
the change. I have faith in the
democratic party to use the knife
to save the state some hundreds
of thousands of dollars in taxes
Let the party advocate the abol
ition of all unnecessary Offices fol
the good of the state, in like man
ne!' as the supreme court has dis
missed the republican trading
stock for power in the legisla
ture.'
The great objection to the pres
ent system, aside from the fac
that the party in power is enabled
by it's operations to provide snug
berths for the party workers.
and this, while an evil, is NJ
worse than the entire spoils sys
tenn. which is in vouge in every
department Of the state govern
ment-is that it has d positive
tendency to reduce the price O!
grain to the producers. The
elevator companies buy the great
er part of the wheat crop from
the farmers. The elevator com
panies are compelled, under the
state inspection law, to have
every bushel Of grain they buy
inspected and graded by the
state The grade so fixed is in
flexible, except by costly an6
slow process of ;'appeal,'' which
is not resorted to except in ex
IRENE cases. The elevator ag
ents-the buyers-are under
contract with their company tt
make the grades good. Inc nat
ural tendency for them is to KEEP
on the safe side. and under-grade
rather than over-grade. Thus
the farmer loses frequently one
or more grades, and his dockage
is higher than it should be. The
state grading is based on moth
ing but individual opinion, and
the method Of appointing the
officials frequently puts into the
position of inspector incompetent
men, with the result that serious
Inconsistencies constantly occur
in grading. The elevator men
do not know where they are at,
and seek to save themselvs from
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