The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-03-30

will make his poor grain look like good
and enable the doctor to work it off
on the consuming public as good, they
have not convinced me OF it, and from
another part of the article, / am of
the opinion that they did not so con-
vince the committee. The farmer has
never yet been benefited by a decep-
ton upon the consumer by the doctor
in making musty wheat look bright.
On the contrary, every report from our
foreign consuls and all complaints by
foreign importers show that this sys-
tenn of mixing screenings and poor
wheat In such quantities has destroy
ed the reliability of the grade, has
.cheapened our wheat all over Europe
and driven it out OF many foreign mar
kets.
Il cannot recall a single instance
where the producer, the farmer, has
been allowed No. price for No. 4
wheat, because the doctor could mix
1t or make it look like No. q.
"This commission evidently agrees
with me, for they report among other
reasons that federal inspection is rec
commended, because: Grades inspected
out for export are inferior to grades
inspected in, which works a hardship
on the producer"
IF that is not clear declaration
that different rule of grading is APP
piled to inshipments and outship-
ments, and that it operates against the
interests Of the producer, then don't
understand plain English.
TN speaking generally about grain
inspection, am OF aways referrig
either to Minnesota of to its inspection
department, and they probably apply
some of my remarks to themselves
which were intended for other local
tiles. / think we of the Dakotas are
getting much better treatment than
we did get before the agitation for ma
tional inspection was begun, but be-
lieve there is ground for Improvement.
but If the inspection method In
vogue in Minnesota is perfect and
lust, why on earth do the boards CO
trade so bitterly fight government. in
spection? All the government is ask
ed to do is to give honest grades both
on in and out shipments. If we are
securing such grades now, then the
trade interests will not be effected and
plant. If these inspectors at Mime
sofa points are experts now, theJ
would not be less if acting under gov
eminent authority ad civil service pro-
tectio.
IF the standards fixed by the Min
nesota commission are for the besi
interests of the trade, to the consumer
purchaser and producer, the govern.
ment would undoubtedly adopt the
same standards. Why then this hos
| tility unless. some one fears homes
inspection and grading will hurt hi'
| special interest?
"a word about screenings and dock
| age. | claim 1t is not necessary fol
1 the farmer to put his wheat through
a tanning mill and clean it at heavJ
expense before shipping It. When hi'
wheat now arrives at the termina
the foul stuff and screenings are est
mated by the Inspector If he Il
capable Of estimating its characte
and quantity, he is capable of estimat
ing it's value and under proper sys
i tenn of grading and inspection woul'
be allowed that vaue. Example:
4 car load of wheat arrives at the ter
i mlnal, the gram - LdTly Souu, pu
contains some weed and grass see'
and screenings. A COED expert will
say: "By running this through tn
suction draft and taking out seventy
ave bushels, 1t will be good No. 2.
4 The seventy five bushels taken out vii
be worth thirty cents per bushel. abov
cost of cleaning. The shipper woul
thus secure the value of this dockag
which is his property and on Whic
4 e has paid the freight, and in purchas
ling from the farmer he would be en-
4 abled to make him proper allowanc
II for the dockage and also give him tn
grade to which he would be entitled
Under the present system the farme
is liable, not only to get a No. pric
for his No. 2 grain. because Of It's ap
4 pearance, but also to make gift Of tn
dockage to the wheat doctor.
II think the more our Minnesot
L friends study the question from
purely unselfish standpoint and wit
view to exact justice, the neare
they will come to the federal inspee
ton idea. They will find their preju
dices against federal inspection to b
wholly unfounded."