Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1914-03-12

grain standards. He told what was
being done by the government de-
partment to lead up to the standard
ization of. grain. Already this had
been done with corn, and the depart
ment was working towards the same
thing with wheat and other grains.
Mr.. Miller did not directly advocate
federal Inspection at present, but
suggested that federal supervision of
grain grades as now established by
boards Of trade, be put into effect in
stead. This was subject which
congress was attempting to solve for
the entire country.
Barley Losses.
There was general discussion of
the losses by dockage and it was stat
ed that farmers elevators and farm
.ers were losing a great deal of the
value of their barley. If present
conditions of barley buying at termi-
nails are to continue" said one speak
er, there is no use of raising barley
except for hog feed.'
) One elevator man declared that the
needler cleaner pays big, and that
they had sold the small, shrivelled
seed taken from various lots of bar
ley, for nearly as much as was offer
ed for the entire car; and that wild
oats, separated, brought 26 cents a
bushel, all clean profit. "There is
no use to- give away products of val
ue, because they are mixed with 9TH
er products" declared speaker.
Another delegate said that his clean
er had paid for itself since December
last.
While some allowance is made at
terminals for excessive dockage, or
where it reaches over four pounds
per bushel, there is still big profit
for terminal buyers in the dockage.
A Af test for dockage when shown
to ali t!rrnasr, is generally satisfac-
tory TO him. Flax dockage at Duluth
runs from two to three per cent.
1t was suggested that special
cleaning house for barley be secured
at the terminals, for the association,
as its members were not getting
much more than half what the barley
was really worth, and it was also be-
lieved that cleaning mills for this
purpose would also pay in each To-
cal elevator. ''The way to make a
profit for a farmer company is to get
the dirt out"
An objection alleged to have been
made by railroad companies to ele-
vators putting in cleaning mills was
referred to Railroad Commissioner
Stutsman, who was, present at the
morning meeting, and stated that he
knew no reason why the railroad
companies should discriminate in the
use of their right of way.
Membership.
There are only AZ members of the
state association at present, but it
is proposed to. get after an increase
for the coming year, and there is
wide field for such increase in the
large number of farmers houses in
the state. The main purpose of the
starting of farmers houses has been
fairly we'll served by most of them in
keeping down the margin of prices,
and this in nearly every instance has
been done, running from one to four
cents bushel. Some of the houses,
however, are making large profits on
their capital stock, and handle from
200, 1000 to 100000 bushels of grain
gettig profit from the clean
ing, and other means.
President Lee, speaking for him
self, declared that he was in favor of
lne government inspection of grain
and grades. "Of course" he said
'that system might have it's draw
backs. Any government employe~ is
liable to get little arbitrary, but I
would be willing to take chances on
such a personal inspection by gov
inspector without any per-
sonal incentive to defraud, rather
than on an inspection where the re-
sponsibility could be thrown onto the
law, or some regulation of board.
The consensus Of opinion among the
elevator men is that state examine
ton of elevators, the same as Of state
banks, would be good thing II done
by impartial, authorized experts.
Elevator managers might at first take
some exception to it, but would soon
find that it would be wise precau-
tion."
The afternoon session Thursday
was largely taken up after 2 p. M,
with q general discussion of the anti
Continued on page seven.)