New Ulm review., 1900-10-03

expense OF fne DOard OF Appeals, tra-
bnnsl created By the legislature to whom
appeals in disputed grades are made,
would swell the excess to- $S0, ,5O7. But
as there was no board Of appeals under
Clausen the expense Of that body for
1900 should not enter into comparison.
Between 1898 and 1900 there is an in
tervening year, during the greater part
of that period. Mr.. Clausen and his as
sociates were In charge and by compari-
son the cost of the inspection was 5000
more than that of 1900. Il Il: +
Even if MI. Dunn's comparison was
fair, which it is not, the substantial re-
suits in favor of the farmer and the ad-
vanced standard of Minnesota grades in
the markets of the world, more than
compensate for the alleged increase in
cost. The governor says that since the
reorganization of the service there has
not been single instance of complaint
either from the east or European mar
kets, either as a shortagejin weight or
grade, Of single bushel of wheat that
had passed through the Minnesota SER
vice. Prior to that time, and under the
administration of Mr.. Reischus' prede-
cessor, complaints from Buffaly and
England both in regard to grades and
shortage in weight, were persistant and
common. Minnesota's leading grade,
No. ! northern, Duluth, has stood on an
average as compared with the four lead
ing competitive grades in the Liver
pool market, two cents higher than those
grades-fve cents per hundred higher
than the same grade OF Chicago inspec-
ton; and uniformly higher than the
same grades of Manitoba wheat.
These statements are not denied by
Mr.. Dunn, nor gainsayed by any COM
petent authority. Though last years
crop was declared difficult one to in
spect, and last fall the republican press
gloated over the trouble it would be to
satisfy the farmers by the new officers,
there has never been less complaint by
the man who raises the commodity.
Surely here is a condition that would
justify all increased expenditure. But
Mr.. Dunn's own figures do not sustain
the charge, as we have shown.
Mr.. Dunn's next point Is extravaganza
and want of business management on
the part of the prison board in the mat
ter of binding twine. He says that the
expense of 1900 was $658,19O.61 as
against 1916, ,539.16 in 1899, and that
the cash receipts this year, up to July
81, about the close of harvest, were only
$449, ,494.60. He also says that 1,175,539
pounds of sisal and 1S7,675 pounds of
manufactured twine are being carried
over, that the department paid nearly
three cents more for its raw material
than it sold for in open market, and
that prison twine was sold to farmers
at almost three cents per pound higher
than 1t was quoted at Sept. 6, 1900.
A little probing will unravel all this
complication of figures. During 1898
the prison managers sold before harvest
large vuantity of twine on hand to ro-
tail dealers, and farmers who were late
in ordering had their money returned
and were compelled to- buy their sup
plies of this class of dealers at three
and even five cents per pound higher
than prison twlne was sold for. The
prison factory was established for the
benefit of the Minnesota farmers, and
the sale to dealers and the unwarranted
advance In price by them to farmers
caused dissatisfaction and much unfav-
orable comment throughout the state.
10 prevent a recurrence of this con-
dltlon and also to nearer supply the To-
demand, which the factory had never
been able to do, the legislature passed
law to regulate the sale and made an
appro opriation to purchase additional
machinery. New machinery was bought
and large purchases of raw material
were made. The war with the Philip
pines, from where much of this mater.
ial is shipped, had restricted the supply
and advanced prices, it is not alleged
that the state paid higher prices than
other factories, yet it will be remem-
bered that the outlook was for further
advances. When the market opened,
this spring, prison twlne was quoted at
two to three cents below the prices of
outside factories for the same grades.
This condition continued until the
drought of the spring, extended into
June and even July, throughout north.