The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1903-11-18
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE
Continued from last week.

pointed by Gov. VanSant on the
Minneapolis appeal board, one was
a farmer, another was -four mer-
chant who had some time in the
past been interested in milling, and
another druggist who some years
ago bought little wheat for a''flat"
warehouse in a northern hamlet. It
should be said in the beginning that
these men we're strictly honest and
conscientious, and that they dis
charged their duty with rigid inn
Partially. Nothing herein is in
tended to reflect upon them person
ally, and it might be said that they
are as we'll equipped for their posi-
tions as any three men with similar
occupations and experiences that
could have been found. But is this
sufficient? Ever so good woman
would make poor coroner; and
while this druggist was, perhaps,
as well equipped for the technical
duties of the appeal board as any
druggist in the state, that fact did
not, per Sc, make him acceptable.
And the qualifications of the board
as whole were of such a character
as to suggest the opinion expressed
by an attorney concerning another
attorney: HE would be an excellent
lawyer if he only knew the law"
The druggist finally resigned and
his place was filled by a man who
was neither farmer, miller or grain
dealer. He had operated a thresh-
| ing machine, however, and be thus
assumed his official duties with an
air of serene confidence in his abili-
ty to pass intelligently upon all
matters pertaining to grades that
might come before him. But he,
too, resigned, after a time, and in
his stead was appointed an old gen
tleman who had been a sawmill man
all his adult life, but who, having
grown old, retired few years ago
and settled down on a farm. Like
the other members of the board he
is the embodiment of honesty and
good intentions, but that does not
qualify him to pass upon questions
of grain grading where, in some
cases, many thousands of dollars are
involved. Should any one intimate
to the members of this board that
they were qualified by their knowl-
edge of grain and their former ex-
perience in handling it to decide
the important and technical oues-
tons brought before them, as the
highest tribunal, no one would APP
preciate the joke more than they.
1t is extremely doubtful if, of the
twelve men appointed to the appeal
boards at Minneapolis and Duluth
by Governors Lind and VanSant,
more than three could, at the time
they were sworn in, have passed a
25 per cent. examination in grain
grading, under the rules governing
the state department; and it is
equally dou btful if more than two of
them could have passed such an ex-
animation as is required OF man
before he can be made an inspector
in the state department.
| When grade given car OF grain
by state inspector is unsatisfac-
tory, re-inspection is called for.
The re-inspection is made by the
chief deputy inspector, or one of h S
two assistants, all Of whom have in
spected grain at terminal points the
most of their lives, and who are ex-
pert judges of every kind and vari
ETY. of grain grown on this CONT
nent. In some cases, where there
is much at stake, one interested
party or the other is dissatisfied
with the decision of the chief deputy
and an appeal is taken to the appeal
board. If the truth were known
there are few cases where either
party really believes the decision
of the chief deputy to be wrong or
unjust, but as it only costs one dol
lar to appeal it, and as the appeal
board might make a change, there
are many appealed cases. In all
such cases the final decision is made
by this tribunal, whose peculiar fit.
ness has been shown, at least by
inference.
The appeal board is all right in