The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1915-02-04

4. I. HBLGBSON.
Writes q Letter on Grain orad.
Ina and Terminal
Elevators
OF INTEREST," TO PARNERS

vi MlGAlHOl ~ ChNUnnO
Which the Timss Rsproduoss
.. From the 90 opsrators'
ny $3.50
The Co-Operator's Herald pub
fishes a letter from Congressman
Heigeson which explains itself.
and is as follows:
House of Representatives,
Washington. Jan. 4; 1915.
Hon. j. w. Jackson,
Bismarck. North Dakota.
Ny dear Mr.. Jackson:
Your letter relative to the es-
tablishing of a state system of
terminal elevators IN the states Of
Minnesota and Wisconsin. was
received some time ago and should
nave been answered sooner, but
1or several reasons I have been
unable to do so.
. Any question of as great i'm
portance as this, and which in
wolves the expenditure of as much
money and energy as will be ex-
pended if a system of terminal
elevators is established by our
state. will of course, be viewed
from many ,"ferent angles by
different people and especially BY
the various interests that may be
affected. The arguments present.
ed from all of these different an
giles or points of view, will of
course, have to be carefully con-
sldered by your board before it
makes it's commentators and
| am free to admit that have not
given the subject sufficient study
to feel qualified to discuss the
proposition as a whole. but in nv
work as a member of the Agricul-
tural committee of the House,
! have had my eyes opened to at
least one condition prevailing in
the expectation of grain which it
seems to me. has direct bearing
on the question of the desirabile
ity of state terminal elevators
that could handle our export trade
without its going through num-
per OF interested spectators be-
lore 1T reaches the European mar
kets.
Under separate cover, am
mailing you copy of the Hear
lngs before the Committee on
Agriculture on the question of
uniform grading Of grain. During
this hearing, bitter opposition
was developed by our exporters to
any bill that would provide for a
uniform grading of grain, for
export. The exporters claimed
that to enact a law that would
compel our exporters to give to
the foreign purchaser the same
grades that are being used by the
grain dealers in the interior OF
the country would ruin their bus
iness: Asked to explain why this
would be SO. they took corn as an
exllnnle. but adIlltted That other
l.a:rs would a!sn b: at. to-. +:
a greater or less deglaa The gov
cIInnent has worked out a set OF
rules tor the standardization OF
the grades of c 1rn, in which The
n; "sture content. is the princi-
pl: factor in determining its
grade. The exporters claim that
heretofore, because OF what they
call favorable climatic conditions
by which they mean The cold wea-
Their prevailing for several mouths
on the north Atlantic coast, the,
nave been able to purchase coed
sound. mature corn that carried
so large a moisture cOntuut that
the. dealers in the interior gIadec
it No. 3 and sometimes, No. !. anC
yet because of the low te.npera-
ture prevailing for several months
in the fall and winter seasons
they could unload this corn on the
European buyers under contracts
calling for what they call mo. :
Sea-board'' or mo. 2 Export"
Any man with ordinary COM
mon sense. can readily under
stand what the effect of this kinG
of fraudulent business will be uD-
on the value of the entire crop OF
grain in this country when he
stops to consider that Chicago
and Minneapolis and Duluth base
tnelr prices upon the market
price Of what is known as their
contract grade. which is No. 2
When. the value of said No. 2, is
based upon a No: 2 grade sold in
Liverpool which as a matter OF
TACT is from one to two grades
lower than the No. 2 that is used
in the grain markets of this coun-
Try. The result of this, of course.
Is that il the No. 2 Exported to
Europe. is in reality. only a No,
.. or lower. and yet because it is
sold there as a No. 2, it establish
ed the price of No 2 wherever
grain is sold in this country.
II you have any doubt as to this
Just ask any member of a Cham
Der of Commerce or Board of
Trade why the price of No. 2 is
PLACED at a certain figure, and he
Will Immediately quote you the
nrlce of No. 2 in Liverpool. He
viii then deduct all lapifinnafo