101 



of each sack, another f> cents charge, the refilling' of th- 

 . short -weight sacks, 'JO cents, per bag, the change of 

 defective sacks, JO cents, each sack, plus the cost of 

 the new sack, the marking of the sack, half a cent per 

 bag. then there is the classification, and turning over 

 of the sacks with grain remain piled some time, and 

 the charges for warehousing, or floor space, which 

 rarely are less than 10 cents per bag; all these charge^ 

 ,are absolutely independent of .those for freight by 

 rail, the port charges, and the cost of shipping abroad, 

 nor dot's insurance or commissions enter, yet: When 

 the grain is loaded finally in bulk for dispatch, the 

 charges for sacks used still go on for there is a further 

 charge for collecting the sacks, classifying them, 

 piling them and binding them, thus making them into 

 bales or bundlvs for return to the broker and the 

 charges for warehousing them in case .they are not 

 taken away at once. 



These charges incidental to moving the grain from 

 the field to the port, are reduced to less than one half 

 where transport in bulk is effected, and elevators are 

 used in the handling. We have then but one handling 

 in sacks, that is to say the despatching from the farm 

 iii "chata" to the station, or elevator and the unload- 

 ing From this time onwards the grain is moved in 

 bulk, it is loaded into the wagons loose for transport 

 and unloaded into the port elevator. The charges for 

 such are calculated at so much per 100 kilos, and are 

 for the two operations to which bulk .handling reduces 

 it, or less than JO cents, including weighing. The rest 

 of the operations are not necessary : if the grain is 

 stored the charge per 100 kilos is 7 cents per month 

 the same as for a sack of 70 kilos. 



Where grain is handled in sacks it deteriorates 

 rapidly : if exposed to the weather, it heats, grows 

 mouldy, besides if stored in piles in sacks it is attacked 

 by insects, "gorgojo" weevils, etc., or destroyed by 

 rats and mice who find excellent breeding places in 

 the interstices between the sacks ; it must be cleaned 

 and ventilated before it can be sold or even moved at 

 all. When this takes places the labor is five times 

 that required for grain in bulk as the sacks have to be 

 cut open, emptied, refilled, sewn up and piled again, 

 whereas in elevators or grain bins it is sufficient to 

 move it from one bin to another by a running band, 

 with a corresponding minimum charge. 



There are no losses at all from "merma", or "de- 



