56 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPE^RIMLNT STATION, I909. 



have been made without the shipper ever having seen the meaL 

 It frequently happens that the meal thus shipped will go through 

 3, 4 or more dealers before it finally reaches the retailer who 

 distributed the meal. 



It has become customary for the shippers to make refund 

 all the way through to the retailer on the basis of 50 cents per 

 protein unit. One shipper prints a contract something like the 

 following, and the same agreement is lived up to by practically 

 all reputable shippers, — "The actual protein is guaranteed in the 

 contract and if on analysis of the meal in this shipment, does 

 not equal within one unit of protein guaranteed, we agree to 

 refund on a basis of 50 cents per unit protein." "Such claims 

 supported by proper samples to be made within 10 days after 

 the arrival of the car." From the shippers standpoint, this 

 would seem to be a fair proposition. From the standpoint of 

 the consumer, however, it ordinarily is not of much value. For 

 example, — The Station received a sample from a car of cotton- 

 seed meal through a certain retailer in Maine. On analysis it 

 was found that this meal was considerably below the guaranty. 

 It happened, however, that most of this car was distributed 

 before the results of the analysis were reported. A claim was 

 put in on the basis of the analysis and was allowed by the 

 shipper and a refund of $40 was made to the retailer. None 

 of this money, however, reached the consumer as the goods 

 were scattered and the retailer claimed that he did not know to 

 whom this particular car of goods was sold. Hence in this par- 

 ticular case the retailer in addition to making the ordinary profits 

 on a car of cottonseed meal, received and kept a premium of 

 $40 for having handled cottonseed meal deficient in protein. 

 Practically no instance has come to the writers' knowledge of 

 the refund reaching the consumer. This method of refund is 

 also a wrong one, as it enables a mill to send out inferior goods 

 and only make a refund in the case they are caught. For 

 example, — if a shipper contracts for 40 cars of meal of 41 per 

 cent protein and they ship out 38 per cent protein instead of 41, 

 on all cars in which they are detected, they are penalized, but 

 after they have paid the refund because of the deficiency in 

 protein they still have sold the car for all that the meal was 

 worth and in the case of the cars in which they have not been 



