The Redwood gazette., 1919-10-01
o. II. b. JACOBSON TALKS TO
FARMERS ON GRADING
AND GRAIN FACILITIES


8 under the present Federal rules but
which would have been marked No.
under the old state grades, were
shown at the conference. One weighed
551l pounds to the bushel, had fine
color, and was low in moisture in con-
tent: the other was a very desirable
wheat, containing much gluten, but
little more moisture than the other.
On both these wheats the owners lost
without justification, three cents a
bushel. The samples of light weight
wheat and the flour made therefrom
attracted much attention and We're ac-l
cepted By all present as conclusive
proof of the statements made by my
self relative to its milling value.
You already know of the results OF
the New York conference on wheat
prices. Definite prices have been fixed
on every Federal grade for the 1919
crop. whereas in 1913 only the price
on No. / was definitely known, tn
figures on the lower grades varying
with different conditions. 1t is a de-
cided advantage to the grain growers
to have specific prices on the various
grades of wheat, and particularly this
year when the quality Of the grain
is so different from that of other
years. The greatest victory of the
Northwestern farmers, however, was
the establishment Of rules for mar
keting the light weight wheat. 1t has
been ordered that wheat otherwise
conforming to No. standards but
weighing from As to 40 pounds bush
ell shall be subject to a discount in
price Of 3 cents for each pound Of
deficiency in test. In other words,
wheat weighing AS pounds to the bush
ell will command price of $1.92A
instead of the $1.1O which was at one
time offered by the buyers.
1t is an awful long jump from ~
bushel to $1.90, and best Of all the
entire increase goes directly into the
pockets Of the farmers. just how
much the aggregate increase IN wealth
will amount to, is not easy to deter
mine. but some authorities have fig
ured it as high as $4,000, 900.
Let me advise you all that any at
tempt on the part of grain buyers or
elevator men to evade the rules OF the
United States Grain Corporation IN
the matter Of prices for light wheat
should be reported Immediately to the
Minnesota Railroad and Warehouse
Commission SO that the matter may
be corrected Offenders who continue
to ignore the Federal prices will place
themselves in danger of losing their
licensCs.
It is a matter of qualification TO
those who have taken part IN this and
similar movements that the legisla-
lures of the state, particularly those
of 1917 and 1919, have given a cor
dial approval and hearty support to
every measure and every plan to pro-
tect and promote the agricultural IN
terests of the State of Minnesota.
/ would like at this time to make
brief reference to a serious grain sit
Iuation with which yeu are all famil-
LIAR. I refer to that transportation
slsuatlon which develops nearly ev-
lerv year, and which goes by various
names. such as traffic congestion,
/ scar shortage, 'scar famine, and
similar names. Together with such
conditions, there is usually an embar-
90 on the shipment of grain and 9TH
er commodities, with the result that
| industry and commerce are thrown II
greater or less confusion, all depend
| ING upon the extent of the difficulty.
Now, it is my personal opinion that
there never has been car famine II
the United States. What | mean BY
| such ) broad statement IS: that there
has always been d sufficient number
Iof freight cars on the railroad lines
lof the country to move all freight
Inrovided. that the cars had been prop
erlv distributed and had been used
! for .transportati and not for other
nurnoses. Let me illustrate. In
railway terminal yards in New York
/ like those Of the New York Central
Isvstem and the Lehigh Valley system
! hundreds. and even thousands OF cars
laden with grain, have been held fol
weeks. and III some years even months
before being unloaded. While those
cars should have been constantly NOV.
ing back and forth between the sea.
hoard and the interior grain centers
fhev remained there idle week after
week and month after month. Tbs
reason those cars were not unloadet
was because there was no place e
put the grain.
Do YOU know that the entire graiI
storage capacity Of the seven princl
pal Atlantic ports, namely, New York
/ Philadelphia, Baltimo4e, Boston, Port
Iland. Norfolk and Newport News, j:
only I'll .485, 900 bushels Of grain? Ihal
Il the nominal or theoretical capacity
bnt because OF the necessity Of hav
ling seDarate bins for the vari0u.
grades of grain, it is impossible *