Willmar tribune., 1899-12-20

Echoes OF Republican Policies aad
Administration up With tho Trusts
From tho Message and From Secretary
Gougs-Our English s'Rslations"-Ths
10 to Standard In Use by the Bosrs.
Note and Comment Of the Week.
Reform Press Bureau.
ST. PAUL, Dec. II, 1899.
The chief event of the week in state
administration has been the annual re.
port of the grain inspection department
made by Chief Inspector E. S. Reishus,
who succeeded A. G. Clausen four
months ago. The report has been quite
widely given to the state press, and too
much attention cannot be given it. by
the people. 1t shows a very material
increase in the volume of business,
nearly 10000 carloads of grain having
been unloaded at the four terminal
points, more than during the previous
year. The enormous quantity of 217, 1924
carloads Of wheat were received during
the year, all but about 900 cars being
Northwestern spring wheat.
The department collected during the
year $188, 926. 80, an increase in the re-
ceipts over the previous year of $35, 412.
The disbursements for tho season were
mn q ~ n
year, nine months of which was con-
Quoted by Mr.. Reishus' predecessor, of
ga, ,S3S. "a. This reduces the net sur
plus of former years to little more
than $2l, 900. being all that was left of
surplus of $l23,268.A Nov. 80, 1896,
when tho inspection and weighing fees
were reduced from IS cents car to Is
cents. Thus, as Inspector Reishus
states, on Aug. 81 last, when he had
been in Office one month, he found that
the surplus had shrunk $102, ,O32.44 in
80 months. In other words, during
that length of time of the administra-
ton of Mr.. Clausen, the finances of the
department., with a 15-cent fee en-
forced, ran behind 100000. This
makes clear the necessity for the in
crease Of the fee recently made, and in
addition, there had been the establish
ment of the board of grain appeals,
calling for the further expenditure of
about $2O, 900 per year.
The law requiring that the depart.
ment shall be self-supporting and that
grain inspection shall be borne by the
shippers of grain without any addi-
tional burden upon the general tax
payers, Inspector Reishus says: "There.
fore, the business-like administration of
the department, indeed, the mainten.
ance of the entire state grain and ware
house system, not to mention the sup
port of the new Board of Grain Ap-
peals, demanded the restoration of the
fees for inspection and weighing"
An important reform affected has
been the turning OF samples of grain
taken by state inspectors at the Mime
apolis and Duluth terminals back to the
state by selling and placing the pro-
ceeds to the credit of the gram inspec-
ton fund. This makes y saving of
$4,000 per year, or enough to pay the
rental expenses of the Minneapolis and
Duluth departments.
The old practice was for the inspect.
ing officials to gobble the samples. It
is estimated that in the IA years OF the
department this steal may have reached
the sum Of $50, 900. Inspector Reishus
rightly denounces the system as wrong
and demoralizing. The grain thus
taken, of course, is the property of the
shippers, but it being impracticable to
return it to the owners, the next best
thing to do is to sell it and place the
proceeds in the fund from which the
expense of inspection comes, thus in
directly returning it to the owners,
since they pay the inspection expense.
Inspector Reishus was besought most
urgently, especially in Duluth, to de-
vote the grain to a public charity, but
he found himself unable 10 do so, since,
as he says: LAS a public. official the
law gave me no authority to devote the
money or property of the department to
private uses or charity"
Inspector Reishus explodes the hum
bug that only long years can fit men fo1
service in the department. Two or
three months experience, he shows, is
ample, for men otherwise qualified. Il,
requires" says the inspector, lin.
mensely more experience and judgmen,
tc grow 5O-cent wheat at a profit than
to name the grade of the wheat after it
is dumped into the elevator or car
and this he gives after 30 years ex
perience in the handling and growing
OF grain.
The present seasons crop IS more
difficult than usual to grade, by reason
OF the heavy fall rains which affected a
large part of the crop, and the rust and
blight in different sections. The In
spector has no fear, however, thai
for, he says: "Growers and handler.
c1 grain are, as rule, reasonable anu
rair-minded men, and will appreciate
an honest and Industrious effort to give
just grades"
The policy that shall govern the de-
,partment is thus outlined: 1T is thu
aim to establish uniformity and stabil
ity of grades, to give to the producer
and dealer, the miller and Eastern pur
chaser the same uniform grade and al
all stages of the market and seasons O
the year; to give the same grade -ir
the fall, when the grain is in vhe hand
of the producer, as in the winter ant
spring, when it is largely in the hand
OF the dealers, miller and elevators; tt
give the same grade when wheat is de
pressed as well as when wheat il
doomed high; to give the producer ,
grade as high as the character and con
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