The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-10-19

auditor and this Democratic house of
cards fell fiat. The question of grain
inspection has become milestone
around their necks, and will drag them
deep
beneath the Waters of Oblivion.
It has been shown by irrefutable fig
ures that the Democratic administra-
ton of the grain inspection department
cost $1627447 more for the year 1900
than for the year 1898, when the de-
partment was under Republican ad-
ministration, and that this increase in
expenditure was due to large in
crease in the number of employees. not
withstanding there were fewer cars OF
wheat inspected in 1900 than there were
in 1898 by not less than $1,000, or their
equivalent in bushels.
AS to the value of the grain inspec-
ton, it has never during the fifteen
years of it's existence been done so
irregularly or unsatisfactory. This is
plainly seen by the Minneapolis mar
ket reports wherein it is shown that
wheat given a high grade by the state
inspectors on being sold on sample fire.
quently fails to command the price
paid for wheat which has been given
lower grade. This is an every Gay oc-
|
dicates most clearly that the inspec-
ton is at fault. 1 am Informed also,
that there have been many Eloie rein
spections, and the grade given by
the inspectors has been overturned
oftener during the past year than ever
occurred in any former year; but the
actual figures on this matter is one of
the buried secrets of the present adj
ministration, which will not be dis
closed until after election, when, and
not before in all probability. the annual
report of the department will be given
to the public.
Increased Cost of Inspection.
| 1t also appears to have been the
policy of the present administration TO
increase the cost of inspection to the
farmers and small shippers in greater
proportion than it has been Increased
to the elevator man and large shippers.
For instance, in the beginning of the
1900 year the fee for inspection on ar
rival at terminal points, that is, sin"
inspection, was raised from 10 cents to
20 cents, and subsequently to rs cents
per car load, but no corresponding in
crease was made in the fee for outgoing
inspection. The fee for inspection ION
ARRIVAL. comes out of the price the
farmer is paid for his wheat. The fee
for outgoing inspection is paid by the
terminal elevator men and large ship
pers. Recently the fee for outgoing in
spection has been raised, but not in
proportion to the increase of the in"
inspection fee. To-day we find that the
fee for inspection ION arrival is G5
cents per car and the fee for outgoing
inspection is 40 cents per 1000 bushels.
That is to say, the inspection fee which
comes out of the farmer has been in
creased 6625 per cent during the past
year, while the fee that is paid by the
terminal warehouse men has only been
increased 33B per cent. 49,
With the smaller crop this year any
one would imagine that the inspection
force could have been decreased and
not increased, as it has BEEN There
has been less work, and fewer inspec-
tors were needed; a smaller force
would have entailed smaller increase
in the inspection fee, and such increase
as was absolutely necessary might have
been apportioned fairly upon the grain
growers on the one hand and the eleva-
tor men and shippers on the other. A
reduction in the force would have
shown sound business management
and a fairly equalized increase of fees
would have shown sense of justice
and fairness.
No Reason to Be Proud.
F. What, with Irregularities in the
grading of grain, the addition to the
inspection force of a large number of
superfluous and inexperienced politi-
cal hangers-on, the consequent large
increase in the expenditure of the de-
|
mating increase of the inspection fee
our Democratic opponents have small
reason to be proud of their record in
the matter of grain inspection.
If elected, I promise to use all the
powers conferred on my office to cor
rect any and all irregularities to make
the service of the most efficient char
acter and to keep the expense account
down to the lowest possible amount
consistent with good service.
The record made by the Democratic
administration in it's management of
the state prison
Binding Irvine Plant
is not one which rebounds to their
credit, nor is it a monument to their
business sagacity or intelligence. Since
the resignation of Warden Wolfer this
twine plant has been conducted APP
parent1y on purely political principles,
and the result has been that during the
past year the farmers who had con-
tracted to buy their binding Irvine from
the prison plant have been compelled
to pay from to cents more per
pound for it than they could have
bought the same quality of Irvine for
from outside jobbers. In former years
the farmers were allowed to cancel all
or part of their orders in case of crop
failure, but during the past year OF
Democratic control, despite the fact of
a general partial failure of the crops
the farmers were not allowed to cancel
their orders, but were held mercilessly
to their contracts. Why was this arbi-
trary action taken by the prison man
agement? 1t was taken because the
managers of the prison Irvine plant
found themselves in a hole financially
and knew that unless they insisted on
the farmers taking all the Irvine or
dered at the beginning of the season
the prison Irvine plant would come
out with a very large deficit. And why
was this the case? Because the mana
gers neglected or were
Ignorant of Business Principles
and bought some seven million pounds
of sisal at the highest prices which
have prevailed for years for such fiber,