Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1917-09-21
GOVERNOR WANTS US.
: GRADES SUSPENDED
New System Works Injustice to
Grower and Therefore Wheat Is
Not Moving

Governor ]. A. A. Burnquist, fol-
lowing action Tuesday by the Min
nesota railroad and warehouse COM
mission, on Wednesday wired Herbert
C. Hoover that in his judgment the
recently established federal grain
grades should be suspended. These
grades. it is declared, are so rigid
that the farmer gets less for MS
wheat and therefore many are hold
ing it.
The following account of the steps
being taken by the governor, the
railroad and warehouse commission
and julius H. Barnes Of Duluth, head
of the Grain Administration Food
Corporation, is taken from yester-
days Minneapolis Journal
minnesota farmers are holding
their wheat for better prices because
of the close lines drawn by the feder-
al grades" said r. Gibbs, chief de-
putty state grain inspector, today.
Our grain receipts are now about
half those of normal and I ascribe
the difference to dissatisfaction by
the farmers who complain the fed
eraI grade system is too stiff" he
said.
TOP GRAINS GRADED LOWER
Under the federal grades, grain
which formerly brought top price is
being rated in lower grades, as the
system is very strict. If the rule is
suspended wheat which now is
bringing the No. price would be
rated as No. /, and all grades would
go up a notch.
There are more than 100 grades,
according to the federal rating,
whereas there were less than 40 un-
der the Minnesota rating Endorsed
by the Minnesota board of grain ap-
peals, it was pointed out today at
the state grain inspection department.
While the price of wheat has ad-
vanced, farmers say they are not
getting paid in proportion this year,
owing to the new law. Consequent
ly, Mr.. Gibbs said, growers are in
clined to hold their grain, hoping
the federal grades will be suspended,
in which event a vast amount of
grain is expected to be placed on the
market and be Immediately available.
The federal grades on winter wheat
went into effect July /, and those on
spring wheat became effective Aug.
/.
WEED SEED BLAMED IN NORTH
WEST
Presence of inseparable weed seed
and other foreign substances has re-
duced the bulk Of North Dakota's
crop to No. 2, or less, under the fed
eraI grades, it is asserted, and experts
say the same condition obtains in
Minnesota.
That the government is becoming
seriously concerned over the failure
of the new crop of wheat to appear
in quantity at terminal markets, and
that conference that may change
materially the existing state of things
is pending in Washington are be-
Iieved reasons for Mr.. Barnes change
of plan.
The outstanding factor in the
countryside government buying that
began Sept 1 is that the movement
of wheat, notwithstanding liberal
production, early threshing and a
record price, has been abnormally
light.
NATIONAL FACTOR PREDICTED
The whole country last week be-
came interested in this as bearing up
on the milling industry and the pro-
duction of -four. That the matter
suddenly has jumped into promin-
inence in the maintenance of national
policy is the inference drawn from
the development the last "a hours.
The first II days of the new crop
year there not only has been no &C
emulation of wheat in storage that
would make a reserve from which
wheat might be shipped to the Allies
but not enough wheat has moved
from the farms to keep the flour mills
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