The St. Louis Republic., 1903-08-14
ACETATE
WEIGHING QUESTION
Officers Of State Grain Associa-
tions Ask for Merchants Ex-
change Supervision.
COMMITTEE ASK CO. OPERATION
Claim Made That There Is No
Means of Ascertaining Respcn-
sibility When Shortage
Exists
COMMITTEE ASK COOPERATION

Tho Weighing Committee Of the Mer-
| chants Exchange has applied to the Board
Of Directors for authority to compel all
grain commission men in the st. Louis
| market to have tho weighing Of all grain
passing through their hands supervised by
! the Weighing Committee.
At meeting of st. Louis commission men
at the Merchants Exchange yesterday aft
ernoon secretaries Of national and State
grain dealers associations told tho local
dealers that the st. Louis market was SUI
fering because Of tho lack Of suitable weight
supervision here. and that in this respect
ST. Louis is surpassed by both Chicago and
Kansas City.
The Weighing Committee now has super
visors at some warehouses and elevators in
st. Louis. Carondelet and East St Louis.
and In addition It has supervisors at wagon
scales in various parts Of tho city. but It
has been unable to get all the commission
men to have the weighing Of grain they
handle supervised by the representatives Of
the Merchants Exchange.
The result Of this lack Of cooperation on
the part of commission men, II was stated,
is that shippers to tho st. Louis market are
not able to trace tho responsibility for loss
Of gain In transportation. and consequently
cannot recover Just claims from transpor-
tation companies.
SMALL FEE FOR WEIGHING.
The fec Of the Weighing Committee for its
work is IS cents q car. It may DO necessary
for the directors OF the Merchants E1-
change to arrange q new schedule Of fees.
charging more at out-of-the-way places,
where but few cars are weighed, than at
central places
The commission men were assured, how
ever. that the country shippers would not
object to an increased fee II they were as
sured Of . thorough supervision.
Tho meeting was addressed by George A.
Subbens Of Chicago, secretary Of the Grain
Dealers' National Association: George
Boyer, secretary Of the Illinois Grain Deal
ers' Association; e. J. Smiley. secretary Of
the Kansas Grain Dealers Association. and
George A Wells. secretary Of tho Iowa
Grain DealerS Association.
''The country shipper win not object to
the Weighing fee" said Secretary Wells "If
he gets good weightA The country dealer
naturally thinks that when he has . short
age the commission merchant has robbed
him. This Is not true, but 1t Is for tho
interest OF St. Louis dealers to have an alb
solute supervision Of weights in this mar
ket
1.-The country shipper is willing to pay for
supervision. The records at Chicago for
May show that there was leakage Of grain
In 1.021 cars because Of their dilapidated
condition and such leakage u the fault Of
the transportation company. Tho railroad
company should pay the shipper for any
loss from this cause.
IF we get q we'll established supervision
Of weights and records Of cars. We will
then be in position to do something con-
cerning leakages and shortages. As tho
representatives of grain dealers and ship
pers we want public supervision Of weights
at Kansas City. st. Louis, Milwaukee. Min
neapolis, Duluth and Chicago"
1.-THE shipper. upon receiving his bill OF
lading," said Secretary Smiley. desires to
know where his responsibility ceases I
understand that tho commission men Of st.
Louis have no system Of determining where
the loss In transportation occurs. Railway
officials have assured me that they are
willing to pay all reasonable claims II 1t
can be proved that the companies they
represent arc responsible for the losses.
KANSAS CITY'S STRICT RULE
There Is not q market in tho world that
gives moro satisfactory weights than does
Kansas City. Every car Of grain that is
consigned to that point for reshipment must
be weighed under the supervision of the
Weighing Bureau Of the Board of Trade.
The shippers of Kansas, Nebraska. South
western Iowa and part Of Oklahoma pay
a25 car for Weighing and inspection"
Secretary stibbens Of tho National Asso-
citation said that some commission men in
St Louis ignore instructions Of the shipper
to have the weighing Of the grain con-
signed to them supervised by the Merchants
Exchange. and he will suggest to shippers
to give positive instructions ON this point
It Is the desire Of the Weighing Committee
to compel all commission men to have their
grain supervised by the Weighing Com
mittee.
It was also stated that many Iowa ship
pers have no hesitancy IN sending their
grain to Chicago. because Of the accurate
supervision there. but that. because Of the
inadsquacy Of st. Louis supervision, they do
not send grain here unless the st. Louis
market II higher than the Chicago market.
National Secretary stibbens promised that
II the st. Louis Merchants Exchange would
enforce its rule concerning the supervision
Of weights shippers In territory tribu-
tary to this city would boycott commission
men who did not have the Weighing Of their
grain supervised by the Weighing Com
mittee
Exchange COMMITTEES and the Illinois Rail-
road and Warehouse Commission concern-
ing the supervision Of weights In East st.
Louis. Tho Illinois commission. which is .
State board. has made ruling not to In
- IL &c.