The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-04-18

HE
An Endorsement of every contention of
the G e during the recent campaign
concerning grain inspection in this state
comes from an unexpected quarter. The
joint legislative committee appointed at
the beginning of the present session Is
not body from which any concurrence
in the charges of the Globe could be
looked for If there were any other way
out of the difficulty short of a clear
avoidance Of its duty by the committee
1t was less in a spirit Of partisanship
than of an earnest desire to save the
farmers of this state from the continued
inf1iction of fragrant wrong that this
paper brought the matter to the public 5
attention. Certainly, if that were not the
case, it would be vain for any one to look
for the committee in question indorsing
our statements.
After an investigation lasting over three
months and involving the examination Of
every witness that could throw light on
the subject, both in the interest of the
grain inspection department and of the
farmers, 1t is gratifying to observe that
the conclusion of the committee sustains
every substantial statement made in
these columns. Here are the findings of
the committee, embodying substantially
all the conclusions reached by that body:
/. That the grading of wheat has not
oeen uniform; that prior to the month of
S HerOp seld me new crop of wheat had not
the policy of the inspection department to
give lower grades than later
That the system of appeal from the
of little benefit '''io
3. That it appears that some of the in
Spectors have been incompetent or care
4. That the weighing Of the grain at
the terminals is carried on in a loose
5. That the farmers suffer a heavy
loss by shipping uncleaned wheat and
by loading wheat into dirty and unswept
cars.
The remainder of the report is but ain
enlargement on and a justification of the
results reached. The recommendations OF
the committee are In line with their con-
cfusions The laws of the state are found
to be ample to avoid the greater share of
the injustice wrought upon the farmer
who must depend upon his own initiative
to secure release from the burdens that
have been placed on his shoulders Aside
from the cumbersome embarrassing and
expensive nature of the system Of aD-
peals open to him from the action In a
given case of the commission, he has it In
his power, If he confronts his difficulties
in an earnest fashion, to apply an efrec-
tive remedy. Here again the language
OF the committee shows more clearly
than 1t might be otherwise expressed
that the farmer can, if he will, bring the
operations of the wheat ring to an end
The committee says in concluding its re-
port:
But, as surer and speedier relief. at
almost every station in the state 1t ts
Wl VII the power of the farmer to him
self remedy this evil by procuring site
building and operating his own elevator
or warehouse, and we cannot too strong
~ recommend to every farming commu-
nifty to promptly avail themselves of this
privilege, as the law in this respect is
ample and comprehensive.
1t can be urged, of course. that # ,s :,
difficult matter for the farmers to npt
this suggestion in operation But the DIFF
ficuIty is far from being insurmountabla.
There need exist in this state no such
thing as grain ring If the farmers will
act in unison
The b e, It will be thus SEEN has
been instrumental in compelling official
recognition of the wrongs imposed on the
farmers. It remains only for the farmers
themselves to supplement the work of the
/ o b e by taking the necessary steps
to build and operate their own elevators.