The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1903-11-11
Especial CORRESPONDENCE. |

my III pIdCblCe. OOiuelllIleS tulS 10
the result of faulty, though inno-
cent looking paragraph, and some
times because the inten tons of the
law making body are misinterpreted
by those who are charged with the
execution of the law. The statute
providing for an appeal board for
the state grain inspection depart
ment is a good illustration.
The Legislature of 1899 passed a
law providing for two appeal boards
-one at Minneapolis, and one at
Duluth. to which all controversies
concerning official grain grading by
the inspection department might be
referred for final decision. Each
board consists of three members, APP
pointed by the governor, the object
having been to create tribunal OF
last resort which would be entirely
independent of the railroad and
warehouse commission. AS the
latter BODY appoints the chief in
spector and all the subordinates I'M
der him it was thought advisable to
create the appeal board in such a
way that it would be neither sub
iect TO the influence of the commits
sion nor answerable to it for its Of
fetal acts. This seems reasonable,
and it would undoubtedly be sat-
isfactory measure to all interests if
the appeal boards were composed of
satisfactory material. But there's
the rub. They are not, and it is an
open question if they can be if the
law is interpreted literally. Either
the law is deficient in the kind OF
material it requires for member
ship on the boards, or the governor
does not construe it in a way that
brings relief to the interests which
it was sought to relieve. This is
what the law says upon that point:
The governor shall appoint
six suitable, competent persons
* three of whom shall con-
stitute board of appeals for
the inspection of grain at Min
neapolis, and the other three to
constitute similar board at
| Duluth, each respective board
| to consist, as far as may be, of
| one practical or representative
| producer of grain, one practical
| or representative grain commits
sion merchant, and one practi-
cal grain merchant, exporter or
miller X
1t will be noticed that the law
says the governor shall appoint
suitable, competent persons, then
provides that these persons shall
be selected from a class which, in
the very nature of things, cannot
furnish suitable competent persons.
1t may be stated, as general prop
osition, that no man is competent or
proficient in any line of business in
which he has not had thorough
training and experience, and while
men in the callings above specified
may have good general knowledge
of grain, it is not a technical knowl-
edge such as is required of one who
inspects grain at terminal. And
the result is that in practice the ap-
peal boards have been something OF
a farce.
To start with, the grading of
grain at a terminal, like Minneapo-
lis or Duluth, is not business
which can be taken up and master
ed in few weeks or months; it is a
profession, and one that requires
long and patient experience and
training. A farmer, or a miller, or
a country grain buyer, particularly
the last two, might become fair
judges Of grain in their respective
communities, where the soil and the
variety of seed varies but little. But
should they come to Minneapolis,
for instance, they would find the
conditions entirely different. When
the inspector goes out on the track
in the morning he finds string of
from Is to 100 cars which came from
many different states. These cars
are filled with every kind and vari-
ETY. of gram, in every conceivable
condition. Some of the wheat is
spring, some winter; some grew on
the prairie, some in timbered