Part IV: Agricultural Economy in General 



UNITED STATES. 



THE ORGANIZATION OF THE SAMPLE TRADE 

 IN GRAIN IN MINNESOTA. 



SOURCE : 

 The Gr.\in Growers' Guide, 6 Jiine i>9i7, Winnipeg (Manitoba). 



The enormous grain production in the United States has necessitated 

 a special organization of the grain trade, which has been perfected little by 

 little, and has gradually succeeding in taking the business of estimating 

 grain from the individual, arbitrary and interested judgement of pur- 

 chasers, and giving it to a body of experts, against whose supervised 

 decisions there is however an appeal. Grain is rapidly classified by a 

 preliminary sampling of consignments in course of transport, and a firm 

 basis for commercial transactions and a safeguard for the interests of 

 growers are provided. 



- The State of Minnesota provides a typical example of the sample trade. 

 We will explain in detail its organization, which functions with much re- 

 gularity. 



§ I. The agencies for the inspection and classification of grain. 



In Minnesota grain is sampled and inspected by two independent 

 systems which mutually check each other — the system for which the State 

 itself is responsible, and that due to the Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce 

 or, when grain is discharged at Duluth, the Duluth Board of Trade. 



All grain handled at St. Paul, Minneapolis, and at Duluth is governed 

 by the Minnesota laws as to grain and weights and measures, and subject 

 to rules and regulations of the Minnesota Railroad and Warehouse Commis- 

 sion. The latter has three members, elected by the people, and has very 

 wide powers. It makes rules which govern terminal elevators, appoints 

 a chief grain inspector and his deputies, issues all warehouse licenses, super- 

 vises the handling, inspecting, weighing and storing of grain, and investi- 

 gates complaints of fraud and injustice. It not only deals with elevator 



