The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1917-11-02
Thinks Elevator Men May Not All
be Thieves.

Mr. Editor: n the last issue OF the
Strandburg paper the editor appears
to have another brain storm, as shown
by an article on the non-partisan
league. Now | have farmed the great
er part OF my life, but at present am
trying to buy grain for the Farmers
elevator company of Milbank. How
ever | don't want to have you get the
impression that | think | know all
about farming or all about grain
handling, but I do think may be
able to straighten some kinks out OF
the Tribune editors brain. In laud-
ing the non-partisan league for what
It has done for the farmer he quotes
figures to show how much OF each
grade OF wheat is handled by the ter
minal-I don't happen to have the
exact figures. In his article he sees
thousands of bushels that were pur-
chased at our local elevators for No
= or three, 20 down to the terminal
and grade No. l. The editor seems to
THINK there must be quite a steal in
this. / don't know as ought to give
trade secrets away, but if | can help
suffering humanity in any way | am
going to do it if the next minute |
lose my job OF robbing the farmers.
Now | presume the editor knows
that the federal government, with the
help of the non-partisan league and
the society Of equity, has fixed certain
standards for the different grades:
No. wheat must he test weight OF
59lbs. to the measured bu.: for No.2-
81 and No. 3, 55lbs. Certain localities
may have 62t lbs. wheat but the local
buyer can not give better than No. i.
May be another section will have 81
lbs. wheat and another section less,
but have given enough to demon
strate how the trick is done. Now if
the editor had terminal elevator,
and should buy say from Grant Co,
10000 bushel OF 62} lbs wheat
then if he should happen to get the
same amount from Duel Co.., ard
they happened to have had a lot of
right time and they happen to get -
lbs. wheat, | am just supposing,
Now suppose that the government had
fixed the difference in price Of the
two grades as SC and that is what it is
would keep the 81 ID. and the 62i sep
arate; but there is where the elevator
man would get the start of him, just
mixing the two weights he could get
No. for all Of it.
Now have never been taught that
mixing two d fferent weights of grains
was stealing: at least there is no
state or federal law against it that |
ever heard Of. The editor in the
same article also claims that there
are thousands of dollars stolen from
the farmers in the way OF dockage.
and quotes the price Of wild oats and
wild mustard at the terminals. The
editor doesn say jlst how he would
overcome the dockaye question. but
infers that a man that raj ed wheat
with ten lbs. of dockage in every bu.
should have paved for the dockage on
the same basis as the wheat. because
it has commercial value. Suppose
the editor went to the local store and
| ought tn lbs. of coffee and there
should happen to be 3 lbs. of tea
mixed in, sugar and salt in the same
way | suppose the editor would think
that was all right. The editor doesn I
happen to think that the farmers
could have prevented great deal OF
the dockage by bett farming meth
ods and seed selection. or if he was a
renter and could not prevent raising
the dockage, he could at least buy a
cleaner for a small amount and get
the full value for his dockage in feed
for stock. Or failing to have stock,
haul it over to the Farmers elevator
at Milbank AZ d | will pay him 43c
per bu. of 32 lbs. BY reading the
editors article one would think that
the Non Partisan League and the
farmers were all the honest people
there were. AS to the N. p. l.. l
would not say, but it would look to q
common person that they were mis-
named. Ii the democratic party of
which am a member, o. the .epubli-
can party should collect $1,000 from
every member of their purity for cam
paign expenses believe the dear edi-
tor would have another one of his
spells. As to the farmer, | believe
hu wing been one for about forty years,
and having to deal with them every
day, will say that / don't believe
you could find set of men of any
other class any more honest or up
right. Ninety-nine out of every 100
II would not be afraid to trust to any
extent. but that other one. Now l am
writing as grain buyer, and if Edi-
tor Vernon could see the rocks and
gravel that sometime come out IT that
cleaner he would wonder what kind of
y stem they grew on, and once in q
great while lind q man that ut the
time it will do the most good to the
farmer, will land on the scales with
both feet, and being Of rather re-
firing nature turn my head the 9TH
er way and say nothing-Nit. Now,
as the Tribune editor seems to be of
an investigating turn Of mind it
would be very interesting reading to
have him investigate the gross weight
of different elevator managers and
lind out how many Of them ever are
able to ship out as much - they re.
ceive. have at times thought that
what happend to hnd in my cleaner
would help some IL could get the
fellow st the terminal to accept il -
grain. but 40 hs has been proven .
thief both by the editor and the N p.
L have ever dared try.
Very truly yours,