The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1913-02-07
Minnesota Legislature
Proceedings at the Minnesota State Capitol for the
Past Week.
Past Week.

st Paul, Feb. do the farmers
set square deal at the hands of the
state grain inspection department?
That is what committee of the
house is trying to ind out Congress
man at large James A Mammalian is
conducting the examination, and he is
doing it in such way that public in
terest has been thoroughly aroused.
Behind Mr.. Manahan and the COM
mittee and furnishing them data is
George Lotus, whose activity in
previous legislation probes to which
railroads hae been subjected has
been marked.
Testimony of Inspector Tunell was
70 the effect that when reinspection
was demanded, the result showed
most frequently that the grain had
been graded too high in the first in
stance. Mr. Tunell's contention was
that this showed an inclination in
case of doubt on the part of inspectors
10 favor the shippers of grain and the
farmers. There is another view
which Mr. Manahan apparently con-
siderS, l. e., reinspections are gener-
ally asked by large line elevator COM
panies or big millers. If that rein
specion results in the grain being
lowered in grade, does not that, it is
asked, indicate an inclination on the
part OF inspectors to favor those line
elevators or big millers?
Question of Mixing.
Both Mr.. Tunnel and Mr.. Eva were
questioned sharply as to whether the
practice of mixing grain did not mill
tate to the disadvantage of farmers.
By a judicious admiyture of wheat
graded No. and No. 2, the product
not infrequently can be made to grade
No. i. 1t was found, for instance, that
the Star Elevator company took into
its bins in two years ending August.
1912, 1,02S,972 bushels of No. l wheat
and 1,510,210 bushels of No. wheat
and other grain of lower grade. 1t
shipped out in the same period, 1884
So bushels of No. / and 2,025,622
bushels Of No. 2 wheat. On the one
hand it Is inferred that the wheat was
graded too low in the first instance
at the expense of the farmers. On
the other it is claimed that the greater
quantity of high grade wheat shipped
out resulted from the use of expen-
siVe machinery to clean the low grade
grain. This is the view taken by Mr..
Eva and other inspectors of grain.
Significant Testimony.
The Testimony of Frank Durant, of
Minneapolis, was interesting and sig
nificant. Mr.. Durant issues what is
known as the Grain Bulletin and
makes, as he admitted, $4,000 a year
out of it. This grain bulletin is a
postal card issued daily to the ele-
yators in territory tributary to Min
neapoiis which processes to give the
market price at each station based on
the Minneapolis closing ito arrive"
quotations. Mr.. Durant's charge for
this service is 80 cents per month.
Naturally the line elevators are his
best customers, as by far the greater
number of elevators are operated by
the large companies.
Ordinarily Mr. Durant gives the
quotations fairly enough. But when
make a price for grain, at any station,
higher than that warranted by Mime
apolis closing quotations, Mr.. Durant
will accommodate them. He justifies
this on the ground that the market
price at any point is the highest that
any elevator al that point is willing to
pay.
Instance Of Manipulation.
To show how this works out, Mr..
Durant il his sworn testimony, cited
an instance where the Cargill eleva-
tor company found that it was not get
ting the business to which it was en-
titled at . certain station on it's line.
The farr4er's elevator there was get
ting all the grain. Mr.. Durant was
called IN and was informed that at
that station the company had decided
10 advance the price to a point where,
if the grain was sold in the Mime
apolis market, the profit would be
wiped out. The next bulletin he sent
out announced that the price of grain
at that station was not the price war
ranted by the Minneapolis market,
but the higher price the Cargill COM
pany had arbitrarily decided to pay.
st. Paul., Feb. 3-Capital punish
ment will again be the penalty for
murder if bill offered by Represen-
tative Tiess of Sibley county becomes
law. Mr.. Piess was elected on this is
sue, defeating George Mckenzie who
was the author of the law by which
capital punishment was abolished two
years ago. BY the terms of Mr.. Pess's
bill, if the accused is convicted of muir
der in the first degree it becomes man
datory on the jury to recommend that
he be either executed or sentenced to
Imprisonment for life.
A Snuff Bill.
Snuff is oubawed in Minnesota by q
bill offered by Representative George
Reid of Rice county. Its mani fac
ture is prohibited, and its sale except
by iobbers vic may dispose of it in