The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1915-12-16
THE STATE GRAIN
INSPECTION DEPARTMENT

THE STATE GRAIN
INSPECTION DEPARTMENT
The impression seems to exist
among grain buyers who are bonded
to their employers that their bonds
are of such character that they
will be held responsible for any
shortage that may occur in their
weights, no matter from what
cause; that they must make good
any differences that may exist be-
tween the weight of grain bought
and the weights at the eastern ter
minals, and that, in order to make
their weights hold out, it is neces-
sary to take little from each load
by means of weighing and docking.
This proposition is absurd on it's
face. The Grain Inspection Depart
ment does not believe that any sure
ty company would write bond that
required man to steal or that any
court would uphold such a bond il
written. A copy of the standard
form of bond, covering grain
weights, has been furnished to the
department by one Of the leading
surety companies writing this class
of business and in it is clause
reading as follows:
provided, however, that the COM
pany (surety) shall not be liable
for the grading of grain, loss by
heating drying or leakage of cars
or other damage, shortage caused
by defective weighing apparatus or
appliances; or for shortages in any
elevator or elevators caused by the
failure of any Of the parties men
toned In said schedule to take dock
age enough to make good their
weight for grain tickets issued, as
the employer hereby assumes the
risk of its superintendent, travel
ing men and officers in giving in
structions to its receiving agents as
to the amount necessary to take to
make good the amount of dockage
at terminal points, and the action
| OF receiving agents in taking dock
age, the loss by cleaning grain and
the ordinary shrinkage arising from
aust in handling of said grain in
| elevators
Another clause provides exemp-
ton from liability for errors or care
lessness In weighing grain and speci-
f1es that negligence is not covered
by the bond. A careful examination
of the entire form fails to show that
the surety company is liable for loss
| In weights from any cause othre
than stealink by the employee
bonded.
The law Of this state specifically
makes it a misdemeanor to weigh
grain otherwise than correctly or
to take more dockage on any lot of
grain than actually exists in it, and
If any employer, OF representative
of an employer, advises or orders
a grain buyer to disregard this law
in any respect, or if any effort is
mazda to hold an employee RESPONSE
BILE for any shortage exempted by
the bond, the department wishes to
be promptly notified of it.
Cases have been reported where
buyers make it practice to take
one pound dockage on all wheat re-
ceived, regardless of it's condition.
| While one pound to the bushel is
about the average dockage on wheat
and buyer taking that amount on
all will break about even, the prac-
tice must be stopped as the farmer
with clean grain should not be made
to stand the loss of the one with
greater amount of dockage.
The law provides that dockage
shall be taken only on those kinds
of grain that are docked at the Min
nesota terminals. This is for the
reason that our principal markets
are in the state of Minnesota and
buyers here are expected to buy on
exactly the same basis as they sell.
At this time Minnesota docks only
on wheat, rye and flax, the foreign
matter contained in other kinds of
grain affecting the grade. Therefore
in this state dockage may be taken
lawfully only on wheat and rye and
flax. An important point for the
seller to bear in mind is that dock
age on wheat and rye is in pounds
per bushel and on flax in percentage
the units being Y pound and 1a of
l per cent. If there is less than II
it should go without dockage, if
more than u and less than /, it
should go as ", etc.
Instead of buyers making up for
actual or imaginary shortages by
means of wrongful weighing and
docking, they are expected to take
all such things into consideration in
fixing the prices to be paid for grain
The farmer is entitled to pay for the
full amount of grain delivered, less
actual dockage on the kinds of
grain on which it is permitted and
there is no more reason for making
him stand the shrinkage or loss in
transit than there Is for making him
stand the other expenses of conduct
ing the business. The dealer is ex-
pected to make reasonable profit
and must not increase it by unlaw-
full methods.
Grain growers who have reason
to think they are not being treated
fairly should stand by the weigher
and see that their grain is weighed
correctly, and if not satisfied with
grade and dockage, mail samples