The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-03-07

Takes a Few Weeks to Get u Line
ON the Various Grades of Grains
Every Year.
Grain Inspector ClauSen was called
before the legislative committee which
Is investigating the department of
Which he is the chief last evening.
Mr.. Clausen explained, although not
entirely to the satisfaction of Chair
man jacobson, of the committee. Why
1t was that the grades were so strictly
adhered to in the beginning of the
crop season and then made more lib
eraI
This was done, Mr. Clausen said, be-
cause 1T was hard to get line on the
crop before Oct l to 15 After the
line hao been made it was possible that
the inspection was not so strict
senator Wilson acted as interrogation
for the committee, and after he was
through with the inspector Mr.. Jacob
son cut In on the cross-examination.
In reply to questions put by Senator
Wilson, Mr.. Clausen denied that an
employees politics were ever asked
when he was taken into the depart
ment The department endeavored to
get young men about the age of TWEEN
ty-five years, in order that they might
become useful later on. No inquiry
was ever made as to previous expert
ence or politics in the subordinate
grades. Promotions came from the
SubordinateS generally. He could re-
call no discharges on the grounds of
pernlciouS activity in politics. The de-
partment had set rules for the inSpec-
tion Of grain, which were printed and
| forwarded to the inspectors. Whenever
changes in the grades were made the
inspectors were notified. He never gave
arb iylc tr.I1n 70
as to grades
He conceded that the statement was
correct as to the inspection being more
severe at the first of the season than
later. This applied to every crop in
spected in the last fourteen years. One
of the rules of the department was
to give the producer the benefit of the
doubt and the best OF the grade
Brought back to the question as to
the reason why the grades were more
liberal about Oct. Is than on Sept 5,
Mr.. Clausen said it was impossible to
get line on the crop before Oct 1
to Is. He didn't want to antagonize
anyone; but he challenged the state
ment that any wheat was graded No.
2 when it should have been No 1, or
that any No hard had been graded
No. / northern.
Again Senator Wilson brought the
witness back to the question as to why
the grades should be more liberal Oct.
Is than on Sept. 1. The tendency of all
the season, Mr. Clausen said was to
press the grades down. The depart
ment started conservatively. Early in
the season the department took the
benefit of the doubt instead CT giving
it to the farmer. If the start was made
any other way the grades would get
below the standard and never could
be brought back.
stand you the grades never start out
liberal and work harder but it always
works hard and then gets liberal.
Mr.. Clausen-YeS, that is about the
way. There are two sides to this wheat
grading matter. and 1 want to dis
course on that later on before this COM
mittee.
Mr.. Clausen admitted that at the be-
ginning of the season wheat was graded
not Oh it's merits by. the inspectors, but
/! by the line of the previous seas son. The
supposition was that the seasons crop
was bad until it was proved that it
was good, and for this reason a start
was made on the line of the previous
season. Last season the wheat at the
beginning was wet and bleached. there
had been too much rain.
Senator Wilson thought if such was
the case the grades would have been
more satisfactory at the commence
ment rather than later in the season,
| which was just the opposite of what
the witnesses had testified before the
committee.
Mr.. Clausen stated that it was hard
to satisfy 100000 farmers. He had
tried to do this, but found it impossible
The CasSenberg case, which was
brought UP during the campaign, had
been unfairly stated, and he was pre-
pared, whenever it was possible, TO
hot 1l,z
| founded on facts. In cases where the
witnesses gave dates and numbers of
cars the department was ready to make
| a satisfactory explanation.
In answers to questions by Mr. Jacob
son the witness admitted that there
had been more complaints last fall than
usual. After the meeting of grain men
in September at st. Paul he had made
no change in the grades as to lower
ing them. He explained the change in
grades following the meeting on the
ground that the department had got
down to the line grade of the crop at
Minneapolis about Oct. and at Du-
lGth about Oct. 10.
Mr.. Jacobson queried if it was known
that the grades were held pretty stiff
early in the season and then made more
liberal later on. whether that would ac--
count for the elevators loading up ear
ly in the season and then letting go
when the grades came down.
MIR. Clausen did not think this was
SO, but was forced to admit that It
might have the effect as stated by Mr..
Jacobs.
He remembered no appointments on
account Of political pull. He never in
ouired as to the politics of the men
employed. The governors of the state
had often sent in names for men for
positions. 1t might be said that this
was politics. but he knew the gov
ernor, and he had served under five,
had never attempted to influence him
He denied that any of the employees
Of the inspection department spent
weeks or days in securing delegates
to conventions while they drew pay
from the department. There might
have been some men from the weigh
ing department around the capitol four
years ago at the time of the senato-
rial election, but there were none from
his department.
Mr.. Clausen will appear before the
committee tomorrow afternoon at 4
o'clock to inspect the sample of wheat
which witnesses have left with the
committee. and to which they testified
| had been graded No. 2 early in the sea-
son and then graded No. 1 a few weeks
! later.