Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1906-12-06
TERMINAL ELEVATORS
At Duluth. How Grain Growers are
Worsted by the Minnesota =.
VII:
Inspection Law. @


Inspection Law. #
Part Of the report Of the North Da-
kota bankers association whose COM
mittee investigated the grain inspec-
tion and grading conditions at the
head of the lakes, has been published
in the Alert. This showed the large
amount of low grade grain bought at
Duluth during the last three months
ranging from No. l northern 20 re-
jected, and the great difference in
the amount of high grade grain ship
ped out. OF the latter there was no
No. ono grade" or rejected, al
though there we're nearly AGO.
600 bushels of the above three grades
bought in the three months referred
to at the one terminal elevator ex-
| amined.
The committee claims the screen
iDgs sold for SO ton after docking
for screenings three-fourths of a
pound average per bushel for all
wheat taken in.
That a smaller dockage is taken at
terminals than at country elevators.
The screenings are at present confis-
Gated and the shipper pays the
freight on them. The committee
further says:
NAfter this dockage of three-q quar-
| ters to a pound per Dusnel was take
out the grain was shipped out as clean
grain without any dockage. What an
eloquent story is told by the above
figures. The fact that nearly 100000
bushels more of No. l porthern the
highest glade taken in, was shipped
out, than was received, speaks so
loud against the present system and
rules of inspection that it is simply
unnecessary to 60 on down the line.
and call attention to the fact that
nothing lower than No. 3 wheat was
shipped out.
The profit in mixing the receipts
of this elevator for the three months,
as shown by their report was S83, 720.-
SO. In order to arrive at the proba-
! hlo orofi+a Of tho +ornoiro' olov"to~c
should be added to the above the
amount realized from the screenings,
the charges for handling the grain
and the proceeds of the sale of wheat
and other grain taken from the
screenings for we found that all
screenings are carefully cleaned over
and all good grain taken from the
screenings is shipped out as screen
ings in order to avoid inspection and
appearing IN the amount of grain
shipped out of the elevator. We are
Of the opinion that grain hospitals,
either independent or in connection
with terminals elevators, should be
established where shippers could have
"off grades" grain cleaned or secured
at a reasonable cost before it is Of
fered for sale. The shippers to pay
this expense and receive the benefit
resulting from such treatment of his
grain needing treatment in hospi-
tai elevator. We also favor the amend
ing Of existing laws governing the
handling Of grain by terminal ele-
vators so as to allow no more grain
of given grade to be shipped out
than is taken in
The committee visited the freight
yards and found the amount of grain
lost by leakage was very great.
The Wisconsin Inspection law was
in operation only short time, and
it was, says the committee, an un-
doubted benefit to shippers, but it
was "knocked OUT by an opponent.
Combination between elevator CON-
panies and railroads for all grain now
received at the head Of the lakes
must be inspected by Minnesota in
spectors. The committee says:
"The story of how the Wisconsin
law was made absolutely imperative
is an interesting one. The Duluth
board of trade made a rule that no
member of the Duluth board of trade
cold hold membership in similar
organization within hundred miles
Of Duluth. This was done to compel
all grain men doing business at the
head of the lakes to confine their bus
iness to Duluth. Then all terminal
elevators located in Superior, sudden
ly were closed as public elevators and
became private elevators operated by
individuals holding leases. AS pri-
vate elevators they were able to dis
crimiDate in the business offered
them and this discrimination tOOk5ne
form Of refusing to receive grain in.
spected under Wisconsin rules and bv
Wisconsin inspectors.
It does not require anything fur