Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1907-03-21


luton which was transmitted to the
Minnesota legislature. in which certain
complaints or charges we're made re-
| garding the grain inspection laws OF
Minnesota. The Minnesota legislature
was requested to change or amend the
laws so as to remove the alleged
evils complained Of.
In reply the Minnesota legislature
adopted concurrent resolution which
denied the charges and declined to
make any changes in the Minnesota
! laws. The Minnesota resolution said
in part:
There has never been any opposition
| on the part Of any legal authority OF
this state to the establishment of an
Equitable grain inspection law at
Superior, Wis.," nor any attempt to
| prevent competitive market at that
place.
The Minnesota inspection and
| weighing laws are considered by the
grain trade to be the best and most ef-
| ficient laws of their kind in vogue.
| Minnesota inspection and weighing
| certificates are accepted the world
over as prima facie evidence of what
they stand for The laws have proved
themselves acceptable to the grain
producers Of this and other states,
| and no complaint has been re-
ceived from any other state.
Minnesota grain hospitals, or mixing
| houses, have improved the condition
of hundreds Of thousands of bushels
| Of Minnesota and North Dakota wheat,
| and it follows that the owner OF such
| mixing house is entitled to just re-
| ward for his labor, and this ne receives
| in the higher price which he obtains
| for the better grade of grain that he
| has established. The business is per-
| fectly legitimate from legal and COM
| mercial standpoint. No mixing OF
grain is permitted in any of the public
terminal elevators OF this state.
There is nothing in the Minnesota
laws that prevents the erection and
operation of terminal elevators by any
person so disposed.
Evidence submitted to the legisla-
| ture shows that the suction draft, So
called, does not in material manner
| affect the weight Of grain and the
dockage taken. A subcommittee in
spected this process in actual opera
| ton. The removal Of grain from car
was viewed from the time the doors
were opened until the contents were
deposited in the hopper scales at the
| top floor Of the elevator. From this
car, weighing $1,000 pounds, there was
collected total waste of four pounds
and seven ounces. There would be
very little dockage to account for il
| the grain was cleaned before it was
| loaded for shipment. The Minnesota
! dockage Of grain is applied under the
| most liberal rules to the shipper, who
is given the benefit OF the doubt as to
the amount OF dockage to be taken
! The average dockage per bushel for
wheat for ten years in this state was
| 1913 ounces.
The system of car inspection for
"bad.order" cars stands in the front
| rank of all such inspection systems.
A congress held in Chicago in De-
cember, 1906, adopted a standard Of
| uniform grades for grain, which are
practically the official grades now IN
force In this state. A delegate oonven-
| ton held in London, England, recently,
approved the Manitoba and Minnesota
| inspection of grain, to the exclusion Of
| any other system.
Accompanying the Minnesota reso-
luton was detailed description show
| ing how the work is performed under
the Minnesota law. 1t says in part:
When carload Of grain reaches the
| terminal market it is placed by the
railroad company upon special tracks,
| called inspection tracks, which are
| provided in each railroad yard.
| A state sampler first takes the rec
ord of the car number and initials,
and also records the number of the
seal that ne breaks in order to enter
| the car He then takes hollow brass
tube, called probe" and by plung-
ing this probe down through the grain
to the bottom of the car in several
! places he secures fair sample of the
grain throughout the whole load. The
sampler then re-seals the car and
keeps a record of the state seal ap-
piled.
sample Of the grain is also taken
by a chamber of commerce sampler,
which is given to the consigaee of the
! car.
The sample obtained by the state
| sampler is then taken to the state in
specton office, where under a proper
light it is carefully inspected by ex-
pert inspectors. The grade and dock
age, il there is any dockage, is then
| determined by means of apparatus
adapted to the work, consisting of fine
| ly adjusted scales and sieves of differ
| ent kinds.
| If the shipper or the consignee is
not satisfied with either grade or dock
age on the car in question, it is his
| privilege to call for reinspection.
The case is then carefully reviewed by
the chief deputy inspector or the as
sistant chief deputies. In case the
parties interested are still dissatisfied,
an appeal can be called for, which
means that the merits of the case
would then be considered by the state
l ~ l. sc IN