The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1919-09-11
FARMERS SHOULD
STUDY D0CkAcE
Many Producers Imposed Upon
by Elevators, Asserts
j. a. McGovern.

$1,000
upon in the sale Of grain because OF
lack Of information on the new dock
age law, according toAJ. "A. McGovern,
deputy. state inspector Of grades,
weights and measures.
ut is absolutely necessary for the
farmers to inform themselves on this
law IL they are to enjoy full protec-
Hon,s' said Mr.. McGovern. There
have come to my notice many cases
where farmers have been swindTed 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
lished, 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
erAing dockage without delay as the
ew 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 O
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,
Nd
Points to Remember.
Mi. 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.
II the farmer does not want the
dockage when 1t is offered him and as
q 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.
II 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
doekage, for which it shall not be re-
CURED to pay.
The elevators are allowed / per cent
Of naxseed dockage as waste for which
they are mo- 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, bar
ley, speltz, emmer, millet, timothy
seed, wild peas, mustard seed, alfalfa
seed, clover seed, buckwheat, pigeon
grass, or any grain having a feed
value.
No compensation Is allowed for
dOckage having no feed value, such as
cookie, kingheads, weed seeds, weed
stems, straw, chaff, darnell, quack
SrAss, Canada thistle, sow thistle,
dodder, wild rose, wild onions, French
weed seeds, sand and dirt.
Dockage is determined by separat-
ing it from the grain, weighing it and
inspecting it. Dockage determined in
any other manner is unlawful.
How Farmers Are Cheated.
Mi. McGovern told of a typical case
where a 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
d0ckage was 'classed as mill oats dock
age and was 8 per cent. It amounted
to BOO pounds. The elevator was al
lowed 8 per cent or $50 pounds. This
LIT 100 pounds Of mill oats dockage
Tor which the elevator owed the
faf1nsr. At $40 per ton for this kind
q dockage, the elevator owed the
farmer $50 for dockage. At 2 cents
V4< bushel FOR cleaning the wheat, the
1ASlner Owed the elevator man g.
he elevator man said he did not
Wl1t The. dockage and offered It to the
475hM. The farmer didn't want It.
1 elevator man kept the dockage,
G64 charged the farmer the full price
1nrcleaning his wheat. Instead Of de,
dpedng to price of the dockase. $40,
tom the cleaning charges, $500, and
pA13ng the farmer the difference, SO
cents, he charged the farmer 800 on
tke grounds that the farmer had bean
0Ixfed his dockage back and would
- take It.