Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1932-02-25

1T appears to me quite cOncluSiVely
from the evidence had in this proceed
ing that the farmer producer of wheat
is Disseminated against by law in the
marketing of his product.
1.-The Federal Grading law provides
that wheat, even though its protein
content and food value be high, cannot
be graded as No. 1 wheat unless it
weights So lbs. or more to the bushel.
Wheat weighing $40 lbs. per bushel
is classified as No. 2 wheat, with a
consequent reduction in market price
upon a direct sale to an elevator. It's
weight may easily be raised to So lbs.
per bushel by merely running it
through legs and spOuts of an eleva-
tor and if that be not sufficient to
raise the weight it may be cleaned
and secured. The unfairness and dis
elimination becomes even more ap-
parent in the lower grades.
AS evidence of the loss to the
farmer PRODUCER survey of the
wheat shipped in and out of the Min
neapOlis market in 1929 disclosed that
total of seven million, odd thou
sands bushes of No. Dark Northern
were shipped in and there was shipped
out of the same elevators of that
years crop some Is million, odd thou
sands bushels of No. 1 Dark North
ern''
Suggests A Remedy.
After showing how this practice pre-
walls in the grain trade generally, the
Governor suggests means to remedy
the evil by amending the law. He
says:
1.-The unfairness could be remedied
in the opinion of experts. by allow
ing tolerance of y Id. in the grad
ing of wheat, so that wheat which
weighed SIS lbs. per bushel and con-
tanned the other elements necessary
to grade as No. 1 wheat could be
graded as No. 1 wheat and command
the price of said wheat"
McHugh and Hughes.
The writer has previously called
attention to the fact that the Chamber
of Commerce of Minneapolis was con-
picuously active in building up case
against the Farmers Union Terminal
Association. John G. McHugh, sec
rotary of the Chamber of Commerce
and his assistant, E. S. Hughes, adj
mitted under oath that they had aided
in securing evidence against the as
ISOLATION.
Mr.. Hughes employed a Mr.. E. ].
fO h cf TO n
an effort to secure material to support
Mullins charges against the railroad
commission. While Senator Mullin, in
all probability, brought the charges
against the Commission in good faith,
the same cannot be said for the Of
ficials of the Chamber of Commerce.
They were not interested in ousting
the railroad commission but desired
to eliminate, if possible, as competi-
tors in the marketing field, the Farm
ers Union Terminal Association.
Secretary McHugh himself admitted
on the stand that he had prepared the
affidavits signed by two former en-
ployes of the Association upon which
the charges of the petitioner were
based.
Results Good.
l believe that much good has re-
suited from the Investigation. 1t has
above all brought to light the in
Justice of the Federal Grain Grading
system which requires factors to be
taken into consideration in the grad
ing of grain which result in defraud-
ing the farmers of millions of dollars
annually and which in the case of
privately owned marketing associa-
tions, such as those affiliated with the
Chicago Board of Trade and the Min
neapolis Chamber Of Commerce go
into the pockets of grain spectators.