Williston graphic., 1919-05-08
GRAIN GRhDING act
WILL save MILLIONS
FARMERS TO BE PAID FOR
DOCKAGE INSTEAD OF CIV.
ING IT TO GAMBLERS

gang politicians and other elements
now working so industriously in
North Dakota to defeat the wishes Of
the people and prevent the industrial
program enacted by the Sixteen as
sembly from becoming effective make
the question Of increased taxes the
pivot Of all their so-called arguments.
They concoct many clever stunts to
try and scare the taxpayers of the
state but never mention any of the
laws passed by the recent assembly
one of which alone will return to the
farmers of North Dakota many times
over what they will pay in increased
taxes even taking the figures Of the
opponents as basis.
Ore Of the laws that will do this
and one of the greatest laws ever put
on the statute books in North Dakota
lis one that is known as the grain
grading and inspection act. This law
provides for putting into effect ideas
long advocated by men opposed to
the grain combine robbery that has
1zisted in this state for SO many
years.
The bill not only provides for the
establishment of uniform grades for
grain but it also provides for the pay
ment for all dockage Of value no mat
how badly mixed such dockage might
be. While the farmers have long
advocated such law as this the Six
teenth assembly was the first legis-
lative body to give them what they
asked.
Grain Men Set Prices
Heretofore grain concerns opera
ting in North Dakota have not only
through the grain mems organization
set the price to be paid for the vari-
Gus grades but they arbitrarily made
those grades. Under the new law q
uniform grade will be established
which must be observed by grain deal
ers in handling the products Of the
farm. Under the old plan the dockage
of from five to twenty pounds per
bushel has been directly lost to the
farmers of state who have not only
given this dockage to the grain men
but have also paid freight on it to the
terminal market and bought it back
again after paying return freight al
so, Is well as exhorbitant prices for
this dockage for feed purposes.
This system has resulted in tre-
mendous loss to the farmers Of the
state in the past who have had no re-
course except installation Of high
priced cleaning machinery on farms,
which was IN impossibility in the ma
jority of cases. With the people in
control Of the lawmaking machinery
Of the state, these conditions have
been changed, and when the farmers
of North Dakota market their grain
this fall they will receive pay for
every pound of dockage of value at
time Of marketing which will mean
4 saving in an ordinary crop year OF
more than enough tp pay all the in
crease in taxes that will be paid in
the next ten years.
A Concrete Illustration
A striking illustration as to what
this law means to North Dakota is
cleaned from an article in the Co.
Operative Herald of April 4. Hen
ming Gunhus of Edinburg, had 1118
bushels Of No. dark Northern wheat
that was given q dockage of IL per
cent when graded. Had this car Of
wheat been handled through the old
line commission houses or. elevators
under the existing plan he would have
suffered the loss contained in this II
per cent dockage or would have been
paid for 983 bushels net at the mark
ct price Of $2.48 per bushel on the
day shipment reached the terminal
which would have yielded him $2439.-
81 for the carload.
However this shipment was sent to
the Equity terminal at st. Paul where
it was cleaned and the dockage paid
for at market value. Mr. .Gunhus re-
ceived pay for 962 bushels net OF
wheat, 343O pounds Of screenings at
$1,000 q ton and 80 bushels and 20
pounds of flax which with the flax
dockage taken out left 81 bushels and
36 pounds net. For this flax he re-
ceived $3.50 per bushel or $315.51.
His screenings brought $2O.5S ad-
ditional and his cleaned wheat,
screenings and flax brought q total
Of $2,724.21. Substracting the sum
S2439.91 which he would have recei-
ved from IN old line company, from
the $2724.21 which he did receive for
his wheat, screening and flax, Mr..
Gunhus had a saving of$284.30. De-
ducting the cleaning cost Of 5O.76 LETT
him net profit Of $233.54 over and
above what he would have received
had he sold his grain under the regul-
ar conditions in North Dakota.
Taking this as an illustration Of the
saving on an ordinary carload OF
wheat it is easy to figure out where
the farmers Of North Dakota will
save through this new law alone
several MILLIONS dollars from the 1919
wheat crop which would otherwise go
to the gambling and profiteer inter-
ests of the Twin City terminals.
This law alone means more to the
farmers Of North Dakota-and to the
business interests Of the state who
are only successful when the farm
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