THE STORY OF THE NONPARTISAN LEAGUE 



ovens at the college, wherein he ground 

 wheat and baked bread, came at last to an 

 official standing, for with these he subjected 

 cereal products to exact testings. He arranged 

 that any farmer that thought he had reason 

 to complain of the grading of his wheat could 

 send it free to the college, where it would 

 be tested scientifically and its real grade 

 determined. 



It is true that the law operated only in 

 North Dakota; true that the bulk of the 

 North Dakota wheat would for some years 

 to come continue to flow to Minneapolis and 

 Duluth; true that in those markets the old 

 and unfair grades would continue to rule 

 without regard to Doctor Ladd and his test- 

 tubes. True, also, that most of this wheat 

 would be bought at country elevators and 

 most of the country elevators be owned in 

 "lines" by great and powerful concerns in 

 Minneapolis, outside the jurisdiction of the 

 farmers. But there was a provision in the 

 law, nevertheless, that made the most arro- 

 gant elevator man exceedingly careful as to 

 his dealings with the farmers that came to 

 him, and gave to Doctor Ladd a power over 

 them almost autocratic. As I have said, every 

 elevator and warehouse in the state must be 

 licensed, and now the state inspector had the 

 power to revoke any such license at any time 

 on proved charges of unfair grading or unfair 



274 



