The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1921-08-18
DR.. [. +. LADD'S
WEEKLY letter

WEEKLY letter
Washington, D. C. Aug. IL.
On August 11th the so-called grain
grading bill was favorably reported
by the House Committee on Agricul-
ture. The purpose of this measure is
to simplify the grading of spring
wheat at country points in order to
give the farmer a squarer deal. 1t
amends the present Federal grades in
three particulars, namely: reduces the
number of grades, changes the mois-
ture test; and places all foreign ma
terial under the head of dockage. If
this bill becomes law wheat will
be graded on it's real worth, and all
dockage in it will be classed as such
and will not lower the grade. The per-
centage of moisture will be noted on
the warehouse certificate and will not
be an element in determining the
grade, although it may affect the
price. If spring wheat raisers can have
the same basis Of valuation placed
upon their product at the local eleva-
tor that is used by the miller it will
mean millions of dollars to the North
western farmers. This bill will tend to
bring about this result. "a
The Department of Agriculture is
now conducting an investigation on
the grain grading question, and the
officials of the Department were not
in favor of reporting the bill at this
time. However, it's author, Congress-
man Steenerson, and the Northwest
ern Representatives on the Commit
tee Of Agriculture, Sinclair of North
Dakota and Clague of Minnesota were
convinced that the delay caused in
waiting for the results Of the investi-
CATION would result, as is too often
the case in nothing being done. Thru
their persistent efforts, the Committee
finally agreed to a favorable report
and the measure is now upon the
House calendar for consideration. It's
friends will endeavor to have it passed
at the present session Of Congress.
Z. w. C. Palmer, Thomas Sanders and
J. A. McGovern of the Grain Inspec-
tion Department of the North Dakota
Agricultural College and the writer
appeared before the Agricultural COM
mittee Of the House during the hear
ings. Samples of grain collected from
the farmers as they were marketing
their wheat were exhibited. With these
they showed how the present grades
fail to place the wheat according to
it's value. The flour as well as the
bread made from the samples exhib-
tied illustrated the value of these diff
derent lots from the standpoint of
flour in bread-rnaking. BY charts they
also presented the milling and baking
data on the flour and bread from the
different samples Of wheat. In addi-
tion they presented many other charts
showing what happened to the wheat
while it passed from the farmer to
the terminal market and the price it
brought there. The persistent and well
directed efforts of Congressman Sin
clair as member Of the Agricultural
Committee of the House backed by
the mathematical data presented by
Messrs. Palmer, Saunders and McGov-
ern no doubt was the determining
factor in having the Committee report
favorably the bill to the House.
The. Capper- -Tincher bill for the reg
ulation of grain exchanges has passed
the Senate. 1t had already passed the
House and now goes to conference
with every indication of an early
agreement by the conferees. The pur-
pose of the bill is to correct the "evil''
practices of professional spectators
on the grain exchanges and to author
ize supervision Of the grain futures,
but not to disturb any of the legiti-
mate and useful functions Of the ex-
changes. The "evil practices" may be
summarized as follows
Market manipulation by large
operators.
! 2Promiscuous and unrestricted
speculation in foodstuffs.
Dissemination Of false crop in
formation.
j Gambling in indemnities, OF
~puts" and "calls."
/ 5-Arbitrary interference with the
law Of supply and demand. 5
The bill deals only with futures. Il
does not touch cash grain transac-
tions. It seeks to tax indemnities out
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