468 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



lower their charges and to discontinue practices of performing serv- 

 ices to individuals or organized groups of dealers at charges which 

 were unfair, excessive, and discriminatory. 



INVESTIGATION OF COMPLAINTS AND KEVOCATION OF LICENSES. 



Constant touch with licensed inspectors has been maintained. Two 

 inspectors have been found who apparently engaged in w^ork or 

 formed business connections which disqualify them from holding 

 licenses. Charges have been preferred and submitted to these in- 

 spectors directing them to show^ cause why their licenses should not 

 be revoked. 



SUPERVISION OF INSPECTION, 



Through the Offices of Federal Grain Supervision and under the 

 direction of Mr. George Livingston the inspection and grading of 

 grain and the uniform application of the grades are carefully super- 

 vised. The grain supervisor is aided by grain samplers who secure 

 representative samples of grain for checking up the work of licensed 

 inspectors performing inspection and grading service and for de- 

 termining appeals and disputes under the act. Assistant grain su- 

 pervisors are stationed in the districts where the volume of inspection 

 and grading work necessitates their assignment. The offices are 

 equipped with standardized laboratory apparatus for the making of 

 moisture and other determinations upon samples of grain necessary 

 in arriving at the true grade of such grain. 



STANDARDIZATION OF SUPERVISION ACTIVITIES. 



Contact with the field force in the supervision work has been 

 standardized, in so far as practicable, with a view to obtaining uni- 

 form understanding in application of the act at all stations. Twenty 

 numbers of an information bulletin have been issued and distributed 

 from the Washington office to the field stations. Instructions of a 

 general nature regarding the work, the activities to be followed, and 

 methods applicable in the conduct of such work are included in the 

 series. 



Besides the constant supervision of inspection work performed by 

 inspectors licensed under the act, methods of handling shipments at 

 the large grain markets have been investigated, as have brokerage 

 and commission charges, operation of the various grain exchanges, 

 boards of trade, chambers of commerce, sampling bureaus, and other 

 grain marketing organizations. 



From December 1, 1916, to June 30, 1917, 237,595 cars of shelled 

 corn were inspected and graded by licensed inspectors according 

 to the official standards of the United States. Keports of such in- 

 spections have been checked by officials at the supervision offices and 

 the work of the inspectors kept under constant observation. Ten 

 thousand six hundred and fifty-five official samples of shelled corn 

 have been secured by such field offices and determinations made of 

 the gi'ade. The efficiency of the inspection and grading work per- 

 formed by inspectors throughout the United States is reported to 

 have been materially increased, and the improvement in efficiency 

 together with the use of imiform standards in all markets is ap- 

 parently highly satisfactory to all branches of the trade. 



