Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1919-09-18
FARMERS SHOULD
STUDY D0CKACE
Many Producers Imposed Upon
by Elevators, Asserts
J. A. McGovern.

Many farmers IRE being imposed
upon in the sale of grain because of
luck of information on the new dock
age law, according to j. A. AIcGovern,
deputy state inspector of grades,
weights and measures.
1T Is absolutely necessary for the
farmers to inform themselves on this
law If they are to enjoy full protec-
tiOn," said Mr.. McGovern. '"rhere
have come to my notice many cases
where farmers have been swindled be-
cause they lacked knowledge of the
new dockage law. Efforts have been
made to spread the~proper information
among the farmers, but they have not
been wholly successful. Instructions
on this important subject were pub
lfshed in the North Dakota Leader of
May "a, but many Of the farmers evil
IDENTIFY did not read them.
1T is important that the farmers
acquire a knowledge of the rules gov
erning dockage without delay as the
new crop has begun to come in and
grain sales involving millions of dol
lars have started. This office is
watching the elevators. Men are kept
out in the field for this purpose con-
tinually. But we must have the CO.
operation of the farmers. We want
the farmers to register all complaints
with US Immediately, and If necessary,
to wire them in to the "Grain Inspec-
ton Department, Agricultural College,
N. n"
Points to Remember.
Mr.. McGOvern explained briefly es-
sential points the farmers should keep
in mind to protect themselves:
Under the new law farmers are to
receive the market price of the dock
age, or the dockage itself, after the
elevator has been paid for cleaning the
grain.
If the farmer does not want the
dockage when 1t Is offered him and as
consequence the elevator refuses to
pay him for it and fails to deduct it
from the charges for cleaning the
grain, the farmer upon complaint can
get the entire money back he paid for
having the grain cleaned.
If there is no local market price for
dockage, the price allowed the farmer
shall be the price at the nearest mar
ket for the dockage minus freight and
other charges to that market.
The. elevator company shall be al
lowed 2 per cent of wheat and rye
dockage, for which it shall not be re-
quired to pay. ~, s53
The elevators are allowed ! per cent
of flaxseed dockage as waste for which
they are not required to pay.
They are allowed 8 per cent as
waste in mill oats dockage. Mill oats
dockage is dockage having 4 per cent
or more of oats, wild oats, corn, bur-
ley. speltz, emmer, millet, timothy
seed, wild peas mustard seed, alfalfa
seed, clover seed, buckwheat, pigeon
grass. or any grain having feed
value. Sd
No compensation is allowed for
dockage having no feed value, such as
cookie, kingheads, weed seeds, weed
stems, straw chaff, darnell, quack
grass, Canada thistle, sow thistle,
dodder, wild rose, wild onions, French
weed seeds, sand and dirt.
Dockage is determined by .separat-
ing 1t from the grain, weighing it and
inspecting it. Dockage determined in
any other manner is unlawful.
How Farmers Are Cheated.
Mr.. McGOvern told of typical case
where farmer was imposed upon be-
cause of his lack of information re-
garding the new law. He sold 100
bushels of wheat to an elevator. The
dockage was classed as mill oats dock
age and was per cent. 1t amounted
to 800 pounds. The elevator was al
lowed per cent or $50 pounds. This
left 100 pounds of mill oats dockage
for which the elevator owed the
farmer. At 500 per ton for this kind
of dockage, the elevator owed the
farmer $1.20 for dockage. At cents
per bushel for: cleaning the wheat, the
farmer owed the elevator man 50. Is
The elevator man said he did not
want the dockage and offered it to the
farmer. The farmer didn't want 1t.
The elevator man kept the dockage,
but charged the farmer the full price
for cleaning his wheat. Instead Of de-
Quoting the price of the dockage, $1.2O,
from the cleaning charges, $500, and
paying the farmer the difference, so
cents, he charged the farmer $500 on
the grounds that the farmer had been
offered his dockage back and would
not take it.
When this case was brought to the
attention Of the state grain inspection
department, the elevator was com.
PEELED to return the $500 to the
farmer.
"A Minneapolis dispatch says that the
grain gamblers will be allowed soon to
trade, in futures. This great tniquity
was abolished during the war when we
| had. our hands full fighting the central
powers. With one enemy removed, II
is now thought, no doubt, that it will
/ dn M great h0rln tn firm the other Onn