Kansas City daily journal., 1897-02-10
COMMITTEE CONsID-
ERs HARREL's BILL.
ARGUED FOR AND AGAINST.
MILLERs OPPOSED TO ANY CHANGE
FROM PRESENT SYSTEM.
No Action Taken and Another Meeting
to BE Held To-day-Senute Passes
Peers Hanging BiIi-Ncws
of the Missouri Leg
isIature.

jefferson City. Nc. Feb. 9.-(SpecialD
The committee on agriculture of the house
met tonight and held long session, at
which the bill of Representative Harrel, of
Clay county, which provides for the crea-
ton of a grain inspection department that
shall be separate and distinct from the
present board of railway and warehouse
commissioners. was considered Although
the bill was introduced by Mr.. Harrel, it
is generally understood that it was drawn
by ex-senator Theodore T. Cash, of Clay
county.
4 number of we'll known citizens of Mis-
souri, appeared before the committee and
argued for and against the bill. Among
them was D. \. Hancock. of Saline coun-
ty, an extensive grain and cattle shipper
He said that the present law has proven
greatly beneficial to the farmers and grain
dealers of Missouri,
Chief Grain Inspector J. G. y. Hitler op-
posed the bill. He pointed out the benefits
of the present law, and gave numerous
facts and figures in support of his claim
that the inspection of grain under the di-
rection and control of the board of rail-
way and warehouse commissioners is as
good as it can be made under existing cir
cumStanceS.
Baxter Brown, of Kansas City. spoke in
favor of the bill. He declared that the in
spectionr of grain by the appointees of the
board was not satisfactory TO the grain
men of the state. and that the expenses Of
the beard were out OF all proportion 10 the
amount of work done. He said that it had
been the custom of the members of the
beard to make reductions i'll rates and eX-
penses just before the meetings of the leg
islature, in order TO make Il showing of
economy. and that, after the legislature
had adjourned, the expenses woCtd be
swelled up again. He then. attacked the
law under which the commissioner Were
appointed saying that it gave them too
much power. He said that. notwithStand-
ing the fact that the state OF Missouri mas
hat har
prosecuting attorneys in the state the
con. .missioners had been in the habit of hlr-
ing outside attorneys to conduct their MT
gatien, thereby throwing unnecessary eX-
ponse upon the state: The law. he said
was constantly needing defense in the
courts.
Augustine Gallagher. secretary of the
Western Winter Wheat Millers Associa-
ton and editor of the Modern Miller, of St.
Louis. made the point that the farmers.
the grain men and the millers OF the state
are opposed to the proposed change. he
said it was not intended as a benefit to
these classes, but was political move,
intended to create new political office to
be filled by the governor The creation OF
this office meant the appointment of a
number of political subordinates.
We ihave now in Missouri the best grain
inspection ever had, and it is good
as the inspection in any part of the United
States" he said Mixed and manipulated
grain is inspected as such. If you make
the change proposed in this bill. the fact
will soon become knov-.l in Europe. and We
will have to sell our grain there by sample
for months TO come. until it is proved that
the inspection that it is proposed shall take
the place of the present inspection is as
good as that inspection. The people in
the grain and milling business are not in
terested in the proposed change. which is
to be purely a political one. They want
the grain inspection done upon a strictly
business basis.
The speechmaking was concluded at 12:15
a. m The committee then went into eX-
ecutive session. in which it remained until
! o'clock. 1t then adjourned. without ac-
ti9n upon the bill, to meet again on
Wednesday,