The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-02-03

|
tract which he had made with the con-
tractor for all samples of the inspec-
ton department, and since then he
has been selling the samples to the
elevators at regular market prices,
saving thousands of dollars to the
state. The contractor told me that
his contract prices were as follows:
40 cents sack for oats, so cents a
| sack for wheat and S1.20 a sack for
fax. You will see from this that the
board worked a financial saving that
resulted in a large revenue to the
state of Minnesota that otherwise
would have gone into other channels.
| The Minnesota railroad commission
| has not acted upon any Of the rec
| concentrations made by the board of
grain appeals for they don't want any
progression made--they are standpat-
| tiers in grain inspection and they pre-
| fer to cling to antiquated methods
rather than anything new.
Should Have Laboratory.
The state of Minnesota should have
it's own laboratory directly in connec-
tion with the department of inspec-
| ton at Duluth and Minneapolis. The
l
laboratories for the purpose of be-
| ing able to go in the market and
select wheat that would give the
greatest returns.
The farmers of the three states can
not look for any relief or improvements
in the Minnesota grain inspection UNI
der the present regime. There was a
bill drafted in accordance with the
recommendations made by the board
of grain appeals and presented to the
last legislature for the establishment
of a laboratory for the especial benefit
and use of the grain inspection, but
this bill was killed, and who do you
suppose was instrumental in doing it?
Why a, man closely connected with the
railway and warehouse commission
and drawing a salary from the state
while he defeated a bill that would
have been of incalcuable value to the
grain producers of Minnesota and the
northwest.
The Farmers Pay.
Take the chief inspectors report for
the year ending July 81, 1909, and
you will find that the average dock
age on incoming wheat for that year
On this vast amount of dockage the
farmers of the northwest not only had
paid the freight, but had turned over
to the terminal elevators this dockage
free of cost. For that year the same
report shows that there were 4S,156,-
103 bushels of wheat inspected out,
but as commercially clean that, as
l have already stated, carried dock
age of from Il to 11a pounds This
would make an average dockage OF
one pound. But let us be very con-
sentative, and put the average at
-fourths of pound, and this will
show that twelve ounces of the TWEEN
ty-two ounces of dockage taken out
of the incoming wheat, was sold to
the eastern millers and foreign buyers
as the real wheat. 1t amounts to 601,-
7S4 bushels, in round numbers, making
100000. This large amount would go
q long way in providing seed for the
farmers who are suffering from the
disastrous crop failure of last year.
Although the chief inspectors report
has not given any account of dockage
on fax, at the Minnesota terminals,
where am creditably informed 25,000,-
600 annually are marketed, on which
there is an average dockage of five
pounds per bushel, aggregating 1885,
] 100000 pounds, the commercial value
of which is from $13 to $40 per ton,
but putting it at a conservative fig
ure say $40 per ton, we find that the
! farmers of the northwest gave away
every year, for the past five years, the
neat sum of S1,250,000 as a bonus, with
their flax crop, and on this vast
amount they have been generous
enough to pay the freight also. This
amount equitably distributed among
them, would make a handsome Christ
mas gift.
No one desires to INC any fault with
the system of the Minnesota grain
inspection, and the legislature that en-
acted the law, has a right to much
credit but it is in the manner in which
it has been administered that we find
fault
Il Let Minnesota put at the head of
/ the Ngrain inspection, man OF un-
swerving integrity, and who believes
in equal rights to all, and special priv
ileges to none, and its inspection will
stand out as a pattern to the world.
I suppose / will be criticised by some
them, but 1T seems to me to be the
right of any citizen to criticise any
man, in an Official capacity, who leaves
!. himself amendable. You all know that
in the halls of congress, men get up
in their places and critieise the high
!, est official in the land, viz, the presi-
dent of the United States, The farm
ers of the northwest deserve great
credit for what they have done in the
way of development and instead OF
any obstacle being placed in their way
every good citizen should be ait their
/ shoulder, urging them on to greater
efforts. You among the pioneers, who
have braved the cold of winter and
. the burning sun of summer, should
be proud of your achievements Tho
tillers of the soil are the pillars on
! which rests the whole commentaries
brio. The partial failureaof last years
crop is told in many commercial cen-
tiers. 1t all now rests with you, wheth-
err you win continue to pay tribute as
you nave been doing, or VIII you de-
clare you independence and marked
your products where you will get, the
greatest returns All the successful
business enterprises of the. country
are now conducted under combined
. effort. Why should you lag and per-
NIT the big procession to pass when
/ you hold the key to the situation?
Urges organization.
! In looking over the report Of the
. Grain Growers Grain Co, Ltd, of Win
! nipeg, Man., for the year ending June
. / - - sss4sEa