The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1910-08-25
IDAHO GRAIN
COMMISSION
Interesting Session Held at
Moscow Inspector
Lees Report.

0tOsAsSOW6 6ll, mtulDtT Ol lle otAt6
Grain Commission, returned last week
from Moscow, where the commission
held an interesting and profitable two
days session, which was attended by
eta, State Grain Inspector A. w. Lee
and Mr.. Cowgirl.
Inspector Lee made a fun and COM
prehensive report of conditions
brought to light under his official In
vestigation. and thorough discussion
of the matters followed after which
II was decided to leave the grading
practically as heretofore. The matter
OF warehouse usages, whereby the
farmers have been double docked.
was fully discussed and rules correct
ing the same were formulated and
will be later published and stringent.
ly enforced, to the protection of the
grain raisers. 1t was shown that Ii
has been the custom for the ware
houseman to dock grain few cents
| for dirt or foulness; then the same
man grades the grain, and proIoun.
ces 1t No. or No. 3, because of this
same foulness, for which the grain
raiser has already paid, which again
! reduces the price to the producer,
several cents. The grain Is then
| cleaned at the elevator and placed up
on the market at higher grade wheat,
the middle man getting the difference
between the foul and cleaned wheat
as velvet, over and above the legit-
innate charge, which he made In the
! first instance, and to which only he
was entitled. The commission pro
nounces this second docking, or low
grading after the grain was docked,
as graft" and asserts that 1t must
and shall be cut out.
The commission has been greatly
Handicapped in its work for lack OF
funds, the number of warehouses
which under the law were entitled to
pay the annual So fee having been
greatly oyerestimated, and the working
funds proportionately cut down there
by. That drawback, however, it 10
expected will be remedied in the fu-
ture. when the State Grain Commis-
sion will take its place as one of the
most active and useful boards in the
state. Inspector Lee submitted the
following clear and comprehensive re
port which can be profitably read by
both the producer and warehouse op-.
orator:
Gentlemen: have the honor to
herewith submit my first annual re-
port as State Hay and Grain Inspec-
tor. Members of the Hay and Grain
Commission were not appointed until
the first of July, 1909, and after the
gfain and hay had begun to move in
the Lewiston valley. The new COM
mission began its work without pre-
cedent, and the gathering of data, re.
pairing of scales, arranging and ad.
justing matters with the Washington
: Commission, run the work well into
October, and the crop was well under
cover before the commission was in
5 shape for work.
; Conditions in the grain market are
undergoing a rapid change, producer,
9 are no longer entirely dependent up
on export trade. Interior markets
o and mills doing an export business
r are taking more than three-fourthl
e of the grain produced in the Inland
a Empire. Unfortunately, however, this
y grain producers of Idaho are compel
:. led to look to Washington, Oregon
and Utah for market, and while
south Idaho ia in her infancy as a
grain country, the crop of 1909 more
than doubled that OF 1906. The irri
CATION tracts are proving to be, q
great success In the production o.
grain, while the dry farming near tn,
foothills Is worthy OF the most con
siderate attention. But the exemp
/; tion clause In Sec. 1920 exemptins
mills, elevators, and warehouses moi
doing a storage business, excludes
from these sections all competition In
the produce trade. and handicaps the
farmer where there are no public
warehouses. In the state OF Wash.
l. ington where the grain commission
has been In operation for fifteen
( years. the system followed, while
/, abolishing some Of the disastrous
r practices, has with its terminal In
t spection. failed to reach the core ol
0 the abuses imposed upon the pro
e ducers. Dishonest methods and abun
a es are imposed upon the weak. II
r give all parties concerned the fpl