The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-23
ABOUT GRAIN WEIGHING
Shippers Take Exceptions to Double
Weighing System.

Interviews Wednesday in several
newspapers with A. A. Richards of
Wellington, and purporting to come
from State Grain Inspector Radford,
oppose the passage of senate Dill NO.
397. This bill re-enacts several sec
tions of the grain inspection law, with
the proviso that state weighing shall
be dispensed with except when re-
quested by the parties in interest.
1.-THE fees paid the Kansas grain de-
partment for weighing grain at Kan
sas City are an unnecessary burden
upon the shippers" said Mr.. s. M
Stamford miller and grain dealer of
Minneapolis. Kansas, today. mo trad
ing is DONE unless in exceptional
cases, upon state weights. The state
weighing system is supported by fees
and state Weighers are only provided
at few interior points and at the
larger elevators and mills in Kansas
City, Kansas. Everywhere else pri-
vate weights must be relied upon.
AT Kansas City there are ffty-one
delivery points, nineteen on the Kan
sas side and thirty-two on the Missouri
side. State weights are provided for at
ten places on the Kansas side and at
three places on the Missouri side, leav-
ing thirty-eight delivery points al which
no state Wegfers are stationed. This
.necessitates a system of private weights
at these thirty-eight points, which is
provided under regulations adopted by
the board OF trade, and in order to Sc
cure uniformity in the system, weigh
ers are provided under the same reguIa-
tons at the nine points in Kansas and
the three points in. Missouri where there
are state WeIgherS. The weighefS at
the common points work side by side |
and use the same scales, and return the
same weights. But as the private sys-
tenn covers all points, and the state
system only a part, all sales are in fact
made upon the basis of private weights. /
THE fees for weighing are deducted
from the price received for the ship
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cept fees for weighing out of elevators
in Kansas when the grain is resold at
Kansas City. In the interview at
tributed to Mr.. Radford. it is stated
that the state weighing fees amount
to 100000 year. I believe this is |
too large, but whatever the amount, |
it comes out of the pockets of the
shippers and the elevator men located
in Kansas making reshipments The
shipper wants to be rid of this dupli- |
cate charge on him. The elevator
man wants to get rid of the expense |
which the elevator paying taxes in |
Kansas must stand without equal bur- |
den on his competitor on the Missouri |
side. The board of trade commission |
merchants are indirectly interested in /
relieving the Kansas City market from |
a tax ON shippers to that market, |
which is not imposed upon shippers /
to other markets
1.-The bill as introduced provides that /
the state department shall not weigh /
grain unless requested. 1t is claimed /
by Mr.. Richards in his interview that |
the small and occasional country ship |
per would not be familiar with the law /
nor think of requesting state weights. /
and thereby unthinkingly be placed at t
the mercy of the private weighing SyS- |
tenn by failing to make request for |
public weights, and that, if a request |
was forwarded at the time the car was |
shipped, the car might not reach KAN |
sas City for a long time and the state |
department could not keep track OF /
what cars were to be weighed and /
what We're not. Those urging the /
passage of the bill do not believe there /
would be any such practical difficulty, |
but believe it would be easier to so !
change the bill as to certainly avoid |
it instead of arguing the proposition +
They propose to suggest amendments /
along the following lines:
when a car reaches Kansas City or /
ment has inspectors, it is Immediately m
spected The pending bill does not ehanse
the law in reference TO Inspection; me car I
is not weighed, however, unIll AFTER II Is
sold and set over to the mill, elevator or
warehouse where delivery is to be made
so as to provide that everybody's grain
shall be then weighed by the state depart
ment unless both seller and buyer notlIy
the department that they do not wish /
state weights Under TINS amendment
those satisfied with private weights can
notify the department that they do not
wish to pay the extra expense OF state
weights. and as the notice must pc py
until after the car arrives and is sold.
when it is at once set over to the buyers
delivery point and the department would
have no trouble in then simply letting
that car alone.
1t certainly strikes me, as a plain and
fair proposition that if both the buyer
and seller, the only parties Interested IN
the deal, join in a notice to the state de-
partment that they do not want 70 pc
burdened with the extra expense of duph-
cate state weights, the state should g.5-. not
compel them to pay for service they 40
not want any more than it should compel
people dealing in coal or sugar 70 let tne
state have hand, at their expense IN
their private transactions. It should pc
noticed that under the proposed amend
ment all grain will be given state welghts
unless the interested parties expressly re-
guest the contrary. A practlc.aII test, un.
til the meeting Of the next legislature two
years hence, would demonstrate Whet i-t
or not the grain men of the state want
the expense on their business mentioned
by Mr.. Radford, and not pre9ud.ce any
body in the MEANWHILE.
wv. L. Douglas" 81, $3.50. SO hand
sewed shoes in patent and plain leatn-
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