The Bemidji pioneer., 1900-10-25

that the grain service has been 're-
formed 1t is simply one of many
other instances which show that all
such pretenses are not only untrue,
but known to be untrue by those who
make them.
In connection with this disclosure OF
the weighing branch of the grain sery-
ice 1t might be interesting to some TO
learn who inspects all the flax received
at Minneapolis and something ebout
the merits of his work, as shown by
eLe records of the inspectors office.
Mr. Reishus, in his first report,
made himself famous by saying that 9.
man of ordinary sense should make q
good inspector after an apprentice,
ship of two or three months! Mr.
Reishus would hardly have made such
an official statement II he had had any
experience himself.
Amy one who knows anything about
inspecting grain, knows that it re-
quires the experience of years.
4 But what was still worse, Mr.. Rel.
shus proceeded at once to act upon
this theory AS soon as he was sworn
in he appointed Herbert Gray, a hotel
clerk from his town, as flax sam
pier" The records, for some purpose
known only to Mr.. Reishus, give his
residence as Swift county, but in
truth and fact he came from Marshall
Lyon county. Although he was nom-
inally fax sampler, he was assigned to
clerical work in the Minneapolis oftice.
He was appointed in October, and, aft
ter doing clerical work until the fol-
lowing February, he was made flax I'M
spector, and has since inspected all
flax received in Minneapolis!
OF course the same kind Of skill is3
not required in the inspection OF fax
as in the inspection of other kinds "a
grain. 1T consists principally in sift-
ing out the dirt, weighing it and fgur'
ing out its per centage. The grain reNa
ceivers at Minneapolis say that more
than one-half the cars Of flax inspect
ed are reinspected, and that In almost
every case the percentage of dirt Is
changed. This shows that the original
inspector either cannot weigh the dirt
correctly or is not able to figure out
the percentage. "a
A car was recently inspected and
graded No. t., IL per cent dirt, It
was reinspected and graded Reject
ed 12 Per cent dirt. It was carried
to the appeal board, who graded IT.
Rejected" I" 10 per cent dirt. The par-
ties in interest became disgusted. and
after weighing sample, settled on the
basis of Rejected" 16 per cent dirt.
The history Of this car Is known to
every commission man in Minneapo-
lis, and illustrates the character Of
the reform" in the inspection de-
partment.
The whole thing is matter of rec
ord, and is open to the inspection OF
every one. Z
% 1t cannot be wondered at that the
grain department is in demoral-
lied and disreputable condition, Two
years ago 1t had worldwide reputa-
ton. Representatives of state depart
ments and grain associations from
other states came here to study our
methods, and magazine writers wrote
long articles upon It's merits which
were read by the civilized world But
how different now!
4 The whole story is told when 1t IS
said that the powers that be have
chosen to build up a political machine
of the department instead Of making
It efficient or Of trying maintain the
reputation 1t has enjoyed in the past.
And 1t is In striking contrast to pre-.
vious administrations where, instead OF
turning the department Into political
machine, efficiency and ability were In
sisted upon. It is a matter of history
that under a Republican administration
Of the department a rigid civil service
bill was drawn UP and recommended
which positively prohibited in every
form the exercise OF political influence
upon any enploye.