The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1917-11-01

When the farmers of North Dakota protested against the rules for grain
winter, there were the usual determinations and insinuations of Nonpartisan
malcontent, because it happened that the protests we're mostly vigorously
voiced by farmers and others prominently connected with the League.
Recent events prove conchsvely that there wa considerable merit to the
objections aised against the grading system which a adopted over the
heads oft the protesting wheat growers of the state.
Even that conservative farm paper, the Farm, Stock G. Home in a recent
editorial says that "he new federal wheat grades are giving the North
western farmers the worst of it."
The F.. s & H. relates actual instances where farmers have been robbed
OF a much as 5000 in cold cash o a single carload of wheat under the Fed
eral grain grading system. 1t asserts that in all probability the average loss
through the Federal grain act will run more than ten cents a bushel.
On a basis of 2ooOoOOoo bushels for the four Northwestern wheat states
this runs into the nice sum of $780, 1000.
As IN illustration of how nicely this arrangement works out dor the
grain combine) the Courant will present a cas- from home-rght here in
Bottneau county.
The following letter from J. A. McGovern, deputy inspector of the North
Dakota grain inspection department, to the Riverside Farmers Elevator
Company at Ne~burg, will constitute the first chapter:
"Your sample of wheat from Car 1886 G. N. arrived this morning.
1t grades No. Dark Northern Spring, per cent dokage, 62A test
weight. We are incosing the certificate for same. This wheat should
make good seed. 1t is about the best sample of wheat I have seem from
This is what the North Dakota Grain Inspection Department has to say
II tn wheat But what a different story when it reached the terminal mar
ket and had to submit to the Marquis of Queensbury rules of the Federal
The following addressed to the Newburg Elevator from the Equity Ex-
change tells the story most eloquenty:
1--WE are in receipt of your letter of the 10Th inst and will say in
reply that the wheat in ar 1886 was all right but it graded No. 4 O.
account of the moisture test. According to the moisture test. the wheat
! in the bottom of the a contained 1874 per cent of moisture and as cars
are graded by the poorest wheat in the ar unless it is loaded o. top,
this whole al graded by the poorest sample. ="
Under the same date comes a letter on a United States Food Admins
tration letter head from the Food Administration Grain Corporations Min
neapols agency in the Chamber of Commerce building: Following is the
story set forth in this letter:
I'VE have fully noted everything set out tin yours of recent date re-
garding grade m cal No. 1886. 1t is vi understanding that you will
receive, undoubtedly at the same time you do this, a letter from the
Equity Cooperative Exchange of St. Paul. relating in DETAIL why this
ca graded four. Under the circumstances, a the matter is being hand
led by them in your interests, W re not making n further report
to you in regard to this car"
The incident needs NJ editorial elaboration. The plain, homely facts
stand on TIM prominent relief that the Northwestern farmer, after running the
gauntlet of every obstacle imaginable is, as a parting shot robbed, by a leg
allied system of brgandage, of ten cents on every bushel Of wheat that re
raises. AS the Farm, Stock & Home puts it: ut ru into the enormou
sum of $40 100000 that you farmers need, have earned and should have,
and your not having it will not benefit the consumer of flour n ioa, for
-four prices ire based on the price of No. Northern"
There is only n single factor in the Northwest big enough, and power
full enough and interested enough in the welfare of thu farmers to remedy
existing evils of this nature.
The intelligent reader MAJ supply tea answer.