The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-02-11
THEY CAN'T AGREE
Grain Men Don't Like the
RadfOrd Bill.
Don't Want to BE Forced to
Weigh Grain.
START A BIG CONTEST.
Kansas City Board of Trade OPP
poses Radford Measure.
Will Come Before the Senate
Committee Tonight.

Shippers of grain, elevator men,
buyers and others interested in han
ding the wealth producer of Kansas
are gathering in this city today to
participate tonight in the discussion
before the house committee on state
affairs on the measures before the leg
islature relative to the weighing OF
grain by the state grain inspection de-
partment, at the head of which is Jno.
W. Radford. There are two measures
of this sort before the legislature. One
was introduced by Mr.. Creechr repre-
sentative from Dickinson county and
the other by Senator Getty.
The Creech bill seeks to provide for
the optional weighing of grain at the
request of the consignor or shipper.
The Getty bill. which has the support
of the Mr.. Radford, provides that all
grain shall be weighed at the markets
to which it is shipped by the state
grain inspector or his assistants.
This is the power that Mr.. Radford
and his assistants thought they enjoy
ed under the present grain inspection
law on the Kansas statute books. Suit
was brought some time ago in the fed
eral courts on the constitutiOnality of
district, decided that the law was I'M
constitutional in So far as it provided
for the weighing of the grain by the
state department. According to the
decision of Judge Pollock the consti-
tutional objection to this feature of
the law was of technical character
and he suggested how it might be
amended SO as to make this provision
constitutional. This is just what the
Getty bill proposes to do-to fix up
Low
that the grain may be weighed at the
markets by the state department.
On the other hand the Creech bill
provides for the optional weighing of
grain by the state department--thati is
at the option of the consignor and
shipper. The bill provides that grain
shipped to any market shall be weigh
ed by the state grain inspector unless
the consignor or shipper of grain says
that he does not want it weighed.
1t is likely that one of the pretty
and warm fights of the session will oc-
cur on the question as to which meas
ure shall be adopted when the matter
comes up for final determination
the floor of both houses.
But the preliminary fight will be
before the house committee ON state
affairs at it's meeting tonight. There
has been presented to this committee
a petition with oyer six hundred sig
natures, the majority of whom are
said to be grain shippers, in favor of
the optional weighing plan as provid-
ed in the Creech bill. In addition tc
the petition letters have been sent by
the score to the members of the leg.
islature urging them to support the
optional weighing feature suggested by
the Creech bill.
These letters are generally uniform
and read as follows:
1--WE understand that house bill No.
276 (the Creech bilD as introduced,
covering grain inspection and weigh
ing by the state grain inspection de-
partment, provides the option by the
shipper or owner. to have his grain
weighed not by the state depart
ment as he may wish. We believe
that it should be optional with the
shipper TO avail himself of state weigh
ing or not.
1--WE therefore, most respectfully
ask your support of this bill. provided
it is not so amended as to include any
feature that requires compulsory
weighing, and your opposition to any
other bill that may be introduced that
state. We don't wish to be unnecess-
sarily taxed"
That last sentence is the crux of
the NATTER said T. L. Hoffman of
question. Mr.. Hoffman is the son of
G. B. Hoffman. They are associated
in business and are among the largest
shippers of grain in the state.
against" said Mr.. Hoffman, sis the un-
necessary tax that is levied on US
through the compulsory weighing of
grain. This is the situation. At the
markets the receiving house has a
weighmaster at the market elevator
The state proposes to have one and
has had one until the courts raised
the constitutional objection to this
weighing feature of the present law.
THE shipper has to pay the house
weighmaster so cents a car and also the
state weighmaster 80 cents a car. Now
the majority of the shippers of Kansas,
the great majority of them are satisfied
to take the weight of the house weigh
master and should not have to pay this
additional tax to the state. We have
no objection to any shipper in the state
having his grain weighed at the mar
kets by the state weighmaster. But
the most of us shippers are opposed
to this additional tax which we believe
TO be absolutely unnecessary and which
is burden.
why in the past year alone this state
Ueighmaster tax cost our firm $500 and
IT is estimated that it cost the shippers
of the state $40, 00O It is a burden that
we ought not be compelled to bear"
Mr. Radford claims that the board of
trade of Kansas City, Mo. is behind
the Creech bill, and that it merely seeks
to give the board members a chance to
weigh Kansas grain.
1t is also rumored that a large sum
of money has been sent to Topeka by
the board of trade to defeat the Rad.
ford bill.
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