The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-08
REFORM SAYS SMILEY.
Wants Better Inspection of Wheat
Crop Prospects.

II never pay much attention to
wheat conditions in winter" was the
statement made today by E. j. Smiley,
secretary of the Kansas Grain Dealers
association. I'm 1895 we had wet
fall. On February 1 we had as good
prospects for a record wheat crop as
we ever had but that year only 27.00o,-
900 bushels of wheat were produced.
The crop was destroyed in four days
in March by sleet which covered the
ground and smothered the wheat. I
think that the wheat is all right now
as it doesn't require as much oxygen
as in the spring.
81 have received a letter dated yes
terday from Minneola, Kansas, which
says Wheat looks coed here. About
the same amount as last year.
According to Clement, Curtis & Co.,
Chicago grain dealers, the acreage
sown to wheat this year is about sc
per cent of that sown last year and
believe that is about correct.
There has been much complaint in
the past of poor inspection of wheat
in Kansas. What is known as office
inspection is proving successful. 1t
salaries allowed by the legislature it
is difficult to get competent inspectors.
The Office system should eradicate the
difficulty and the grain dealers and
shippers of the state would be saved
thousands of dollars
The following extracts are taken
from a letter recently received from
Chief Inspector Cowen of Illinois
which pertain to the new system:
your letter of the 22nd inst at hand.
Your association is recognized as one
of the strong factors in the grain trade
of the southwest, and in the interest Of
both the producer and the consumer I
am pleased to learn that you have
given attention to the controversy that
has arisen in different sections of the
country of the relative merit of diff
ferent systems of inspection. For four
years the Chicago department inspect
ed grain in the cars upon arrival at the
yards and in September. 1908, changed
to the office system in the belief that
under the latter method there could be
obtained more uniform standard OF
grades and a better supervision of the
work of the department than was be-
fore possible.
After thorough demonstration of
the system I have become more than
ever convinced that it is the only sys-
tenn yet devised in which there can be
any degree of uniformity
In the old system the result was
1nnumerable cases of appeal and re-
inspection and more or less attendent
discord"
Under the old system samples are
taken at the cars and then taken to the
board OF trade building, and under the
ONCE system to again quote from Chief
Inspector Governs letter, THE men are
provided with commodious quarters,
well lighted and protected from the in
clement weather, they have also better
Facilities for accurately weighing the
grain and in applying the different
tests, and with the added safeguard OF
numbers in determining questions that
arise every day in connection with their
work and in which there may be an
honest differing of judgment
A copy of the Cowen letter was sent
to John T.. White, chief inspector for
Kansas by Secretary Smiley and the
following is taken from his reply: LAS
to the views expressed by Mr. Cowen
they were approved by me. I think
If the Kansas City Exchange was To-
Gated so that we could inspect in a
room and get the samples there that ,
would put it in force at once, but 1
do not feel that 1 would have the
right to establish an office or working
room in the state of Missouri, and we
could not gather the samples in Kan
sas City, Kan, and get them to the
Exchange building in time for mar
ket. Whenever we can see our way
clearly to do that 1 would be glad to
put it into force
1t was Mr.. Smiley's belief that the
new system will be put into practice
eventually. At the present time the
samples are sent from he cars at
Kansas City, Kan, and he thought
that Inspector Whites only objection
was hardly consistent.