Willmar tribune., 1900-10-31

treatment accorded the producers and
small shippers, justice had been prac-
tically lost sight of. =z-~-~,
This accusation, which no one to-
day will honestly undertake 20 refute,
he followed up with the promise that,
If elected, he would correct existing
abuses and pursue policy having
for its object the establishment of
all stages of the market and in all
seasons of the year-a policy which
would give the same grade in the fall
when the grain is in the hands of the
producer as in the winter or spring,
when it is largely in the hands of the
dealers; a policy which would give the
same grade when wheat is depressed
and low as when wheat is doomed
and high; policy which would give
to the producer grade as high as
the character and condition of his
product would warrant and to the
dealer grade no lower than the quail
ity of his store demanded.
In other words, John Lind promised
equality to all, discrimination against
none. That this promise has been
faithfully fulfilled the following
significant comparison will suffice to
show
During the present administration
criticism has been lodged against the
work of the department just as it
was directed against the system of in
spection under Mr.. Clausen, but with
this remarkable difference:
Under Republican rule every COM
plant came from the producers and
the independent shippers; under the
administration of the present inspec-
tor, Mr.. Reishus, the complaints have
been confined almost exclusively to
those having their inception in the
editorial Offices Of the Republican
press.
Under Clausen, the injustice and in
equality of the inspection was so
fragrant as to result in the holding of
Indignation meetings throughout the
farming districts all over the state;
under Reishus, the cordial treatment
and approval which the department
has received at the hands of both
growers and dealers, signifies that, in
spite of the difficult character of the
inspection during his term, the work
of grading mas proceeded with satis-
faction and success.
Under Clausen, complaints from the
farmers received as rule but little
or no attention; under Reishus the
most thorough investigation was af-
forded in every instance. In fact not
specific charge has been made
against the departments work that
has not been cleared up to the entire
satisfaction of the complainant, the
investigation invariably showing that
the departments position was just and
right.
Under Clausen, hundreds of thou
sands of dollars were lost to the pro-
ducers of Minnesota through unjust
and unnecessary discrimination; un-
der Reishus thousands have been saw
ed to them in single year by ac-
cording them no more than was just
ly their due. Nor are the distinctions
between the two administrations by
any means confined to the matter of
grades.
Under the old regime, for example,
employees were retained on the pay
roll whether their services were re-
quired or not; under Reishus these
useless appendages were dispensed
with as soon as the complexion of
the railroad commission permitted
To illustrate-0n Nov. 3rd last In
spector -Reishus pointed out to the
commission that the services of
Cashier Becker, Deputy Curtis and
Helper Kirk, of the st. Paul Office,
could we'll be dispensed with and
recommended their discharges. The
commission, at that time however, was
not in harmony with the administra-
ton, Mills and Becker being in the
majority, and by vote of two to one
decided to ignore the inspectors sug-
gestion. Cashier Becker was accord
ingly allowed to draw salary till the
18th of December and the other two
until the beginning of the new year.
Whereas had the inspector been al
lowed to let them out, when he found
that their services were not required,
instead of being compelled to wait
until Knox succeeded Commissioner
Mills, the. saving to the department
in salaries alone would have been
over $500. A small amount you may
say, but sufficient at least to show
the difference between the two ad-
ministrations in their conceptions OF
duty and economy.
Again under Clausen it was the Gus
tom of the inspectors to appropriate
grain samples for their own profit.
The effect of tEis practice certainly
was nothing if not demoralizing. Be-
sides the petty jealousies and tricks
resorted to by those eager to secure
their share of the plunder, there was
always the temptation to take un-
necessarily large and numerous sam
pies. Cars could thus be looted of
thousands of dollars in the course of
time without the slightest fear of de-
lection. Estimating the value of the
samples at no more than $1,000 a year,
which is unquestionably low figure,
the aggregate taken from the ship
pers and growers and converted into
the pockets of the inspectors under
Republican rule amounted to no less
than $4,000, snug sum, to say the
least, with which to perpetuate this
and other abuses.
Under the department as organized
by Commissioners -Ringdahl and Knox
all this has been changed. The de-
partment now sells the samples and
devotes the proceeds to defraying the
expenses of inspection. This is as it
should be. The samples belong to the
shippers, and inasmuch as it. is i'm
practicable to return them to their
rightful owners, distributed as they
are through several states, it is but
proper that the proceeds should 60 to
curtailing the expenses Of inspection
which the shippers have to meet. Any
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