The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1908-01-24

subject to the Minnesota inspection,
SO that the farmer has no recourse
but to take the grades and prices Of
fered. State legislation, therefore, is
of little value, and Senator McCum-
Der would substitute for the present
inefficient and variable state inspec-
ton, a system of federal inspection,
based upon a scientific practice where
grain could be graded by federal Off
Gals, without the influence of state
politics or of terminal elevator own
ers.
There is, in the summary, a con-
census of the opinion of bankers, bus
mess men, farmers and men of all
classes in this state, stating their
favor of federal inspection, and their
belief that the present state system
is inefficient, if not venal, and costs
the people of the state millions in
losses. There are statistics present
ed to show that the output from
these terminal points of high grade
wheat much greater than the receipts
and that the output of low grade
wheats is less than the receipts, prov
ing that a different system of inspec-
ton prevails to favor the terminal
elevators when selling and to help
him when buying. The farmer gets
the short end of both deals. Early
in the season, when the grain is COM
ing in, it is shown that inspectors are
rigid in grades, and farmers get the
bwest possible grade. Later in the
ason, the rigidity lessons, but the
trmer has then sold his wheat and
ihe elevator man benefits by the ear
Ter grading.
Ali of this Senator McCumber be-
lieves can be corrected by federal in
spection, under the supervision of the
department of agriculture and his
summary of the facts in the matter is
SO clear and concise that it is repro
duced here:
Present System Weakens
1. Grades and inspections are
made by inspectors who owe their po-
sitions to the influence of the large
elevator companies and their allegi-
ance to the parties responsible for
their appointments.
,. The chief inspector appoints all
deputy inspectors. If an appeal is
taken from the act of a deputy for
improper grading or for any other
cause, such appeal is decided by the
chief inspector. The chief inspector,
who is responsible for the efficiency
of his deputy a not very often over
rule him without subjecting himself
to criticism for his deputies.
3. The great terminal elevator
companies have lines Of elevators
along every railroad through the
States. They arbitrarily instruct their
buyers to what grade the grain is en-
titled to. They, of course, protect
themselves against possibility of loss.
4. Every year when the crop be-
gins to move the graders at the ter
minals have adopted a rule that all
questions of doubt shall be resolved
against the producers. The rtsult of
that is that about two-thirds of he
crop of the farmer has been purchased
at a grade lower than that to which it
is entitled. AS the season advances
the grade is raised. This, of course,
raises all of the grades in store and
held by the elevators and which were
purchased at q. lower grade. All ques-
lions of doubt in grading are resolved
against the producer.
). The report of the state grain and
warehouse commission of Minnesota,
for instance, every year shows that the
number of bushels of the higher grades
taken in is only a small percentage
of the higher grades shipped out from
the terminal elevators, and that the
lower grades received are many times
over the lower grades shipped out,
thus defrauding the producers of many
millions of dollars every var.
6. In addition to this, we have our
mixing elevators at the criminals.
They will mix 1000, 900 bushels of No.
1 northern with 100000 Or 1900, 0O0,-
900 bushels of No. 2 or No. 3 north
r and have the same reinspected
and graded as No. / northern. This
grain is shipped then, say, to Liver
pool The foreign purchaser receives
the bill of lading, accompanied by the
certificate of the grain inspector,
showing the grain to be No. 1 north
ern. He gives it a chemical analysis,
compares it with Canadian No. 1
northern, and finds that the American
No. 1 northern is far below the same
grade of Canadian wheat. This dis