The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-03-27
ONE USELESS DEPARTMENT
Minneapolis Journal Joins With Free
Press on This Point.

The Minneapolis Journal wants to
know" why is. the state oil inspection
This is not a conundrum, or an at
tempt to joke. 1t is a question of
state policy, and the best answer to
it is:
Because it provides $4,000 a year in
salaries for political retainers of the
reigning state administration.
'That being the case, why not
abolish the department?
"The Minnesota oil inspection law
provides for just one test. No attempt
is made to ascertain the grade of oil,
its proportion of carbons or its puri-
tv. The sole test is the clash" or
fire test. to make sure that the oil
is safe to burn in lamps under or
binary conditions. Oil that will flash
at l2O degrees or less is condemned.
All that passes the test is stamped
and may be sold legally.
'Many states have oil inspection
laws, anu HlOSG VI oHtIi HdNc INC HdSi
test. but Minnesota's is lower than the
average, 1t is SO low, in fact, that
very seldom is a car of oil condemn
ed in Minnesota.
''The Standard Oil company is the
only one which markets any oil in
the state that comes very near the
legal test. The Standard cannot afford
to sell oil of a dangerous quality,
and the company always tests its
own product before sending it out. 1t
is plain that the Minnesota public
would be sufficiently protected by
law against low test Kerosene, to be
enforced by the dairy and food de-
partment.
''South Dakota has a gravity test
law. 1t is the only state in the union
which gives the public any guarantee
of the quality of oil placed on the
market The specific gravity OF a
barrel or a car of oil is almost in
fallible evidence of its purity. Com
plants comes in almost daily to the
Minnesota department about oil that
smokes in the lamp. SSuch oil is
heavy and not properly refined, but
it is legal in Minnesota, because it
passes the fire test.
adoption of the South Dakota law
i'm Minnesota would bar out such oil,
which is unfit to be put in any lamp.
In most towns of the state consumers
are at the mercy of the Standard and
must take the smoky oil or nothing.
With gravity test the Standard might
raise the price of its oil, but 1t
would be free from the impurities
which now annoy the consumers.
''The taxpayers of Minnesota get
practically no benefit from the oil
inspection law The inspection fee is
not tax. and cannot be turned into
the general funds of the state. 1t is
fee for specific service and can
only be used to pay the cost of that
service.
''The office of state oil inspector was
supposed to be worth $4,000 to $780,
600 when ut was on a fee basis. 1t
has never been worth any such sum
to the state of Minnesota. That
rich harvest of fees has not material
lied The department has spent its
appropriation of $4,000 year, up
to the last cent, and the receipts
turned in have not exceeded that sum
very much. 1t has eaten up practically
all that it made.
"Such department, even when hon
estly run, is of so little value that the
next legislature should either make it
worth while, as in South Dakota or
cut it out altogether"
The Journal has gone at length into
"A subject that The Free Press breach
ed several weeks ago. Under the
present system of oil inspection the
public is not benefited in the least.