The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1920-04-02
PUTTING BACK
STOLEN D0CkACE
Grain Grading Department Com
peIls Thieves to Restore in
Cash Value Of Grain Taken.


stealing became the favorite crime, be-
cause horses were easily ta'.en ana
Aelped steal themselves. With the ad
vent Of wheat-raisiug, notwithstanding
came more into vogue hut the steal
Ing was not all confined to the burglars
who broke open the granary or USED
an augur on its wooden walls and
tapped the bin for a wagon load IN
the night. Finer methods were devel-
oped, particularly by the grain buyers.
They bought wheat, ''docked" it for
other grain that might be mixed with
it-and kept and sold the dockage.
without paying one cent for it to the
farmer Thus load Of wheat might
be two-thirds wheat and one-thlrd flax.
The flax would be docked-and the
value of the dockage be actually
greater than the value of the wheat!
The farmers saw the steal going on
before their eyes and finally when
they awoke and took over the state
government they passed law requir-
ing this dockage to be paid for and
putting state grain grading depart
ment in charge to see that the law was
obeyed
Old Dogs and New Tricks.
It is hard to teach old dogs new
tricks. The grain buyers had been for
so many long years stealing this dock
age that they could not seem to learn
the new system. or pay for the grain
they received. Hence it came about
that the grain grading department had
busy time of it making the grain
buyers put back what they had taken.
This was done by licensing all grain
buyers and the buyer who refused to
''nut it back had his license cancelled
and could buy no more grain in North
Dakota. Pretty stern nledicine-but
absolutely needed rs these Instances
will SHOW;
What the Records Stow.
Herman HlaraUard Of Walhtlll2. is
richer by $11 20 because he complained
to the grain grading department over
not getting his dnckage.
Fl. A phargo IF Nome, got paid for
barley that rle grain buyer had taken
as docaage.
N. Eddie Of NORWOOD. got s21.75
as the amount doe kim on dockage On
wheat. His wheat was over-docI1ed
Stanley Thompson Of Ayr, went up
against an Old dog who refused to pay
for dockage. The new trick was hard
to learn but Mr.. Thompson got 5000
in neat little check.
VIM. Kirchmer Of Kenmare, was
against the same proposition. The
buyer refused to pay for dockage, but
after the grain grading department
had written q letter. Mr.. Kirchmer
got satisfactory settlement
John J. Norberg Of Tolley, has a
5000 check for dockage that never
would have come without a grain grad
ing department. The grain buyer took
no stock in this new fad of paying for
valuable dOckage-until he heard that
it was the style now, and being out
Of fashion was the same as being out
of business.
Andrew Hollinger Of MELVILLE, fig
ured he was getting some pay for his
dockage-but not enough. He took
what was offered him and then sent
in his complaint to the grain grading
department. In the mail box one
morning he found that Santa Claus
had been around and a check for
$17.42 proved to him that the farmers
law was working In its mysterious
way its wonders to perform
II. Halland of Nome, had his barley
docked. Docking of barley is not al
lowed under the law. A letter got the
grain buyer to pay for what he had
taken and stopped docking barley.
Gust. Peterson Of Nome, had his
barley locked, When he kicked to
the right place a check came along
for $16.OO-just enough to pay his
League membership pay for what
had been wrongfuIly taken from his
barley.
Not for Farmers Only.
It is not only a square deal for
farmers, this law, though he benefits
most by it, because he sells most under
it. Here's case Of an elevator COM
pany at Reynolds selling to a flour
mill. The mill was taking fractional
percentages Of dockage which is not
allowed. A letter to the mill brought
the elevator company a check for
SeS.72, to square up the deal It is a
poor rule and a poor law that will not
work two ways. The grain buyer is
learning that ne is protected when he
is giving a square deal. He is even
protected against his own errors. If
he gives a higher grade than he should
or pays more for dockage than he
Should-he has backing now and can
show his customer that he overpaid
him. It is putting spirit of conf
dence in the buyer and seller all over
the state and business that once was
considered polite and legalized form
of stealing is now attaining dignity
that it should long since have held.
PROFITlNG AND PROFlTEERlNG