302 CORN 



tion, or what is probably more important, the rivalry between the old- 

 er ports and their smaller and more recently established competitors, 

 there seems little doubt that the standard of grading has been low- 

 ered, either temporarily, or in some cases permanently, in order to at- 

 tract business from interior points. We in Europe feel that the bur- 

 den of such departure from the more reliable and stricter method in 

 force formerly, has been borne chiefly by European importers who, be- 

 ing far away, have no power of protecting themselves against errors 

 or worse in the grading methods of recent years. The result is that 

 American grain sufifers as regards price when in competition with 

 grain from other countries. 



Robert A. Patterson. 

 Chairman European International 

 Committee on American Grain Certificates. 

 "President United States of America, 



White House, Washington, U. S. A." 



A Criticism from Another Source. 



"Het Comite van Graanhandelaren te 

 Rotterdam, 



Rotterdam, February 20, 1907. 

 "Representative J. A. Gronna, Esq., 

 Washington, D.'C. 



"During the last Berlin Grain Conference held January 29th and 

 30th of this year, by delegates of the German, Holland and Scandi- 

 navian grain trade, the McCumber bill and the other bills of similar 

 character introduced into Congress, were one of the chief subjects on 

 the program. During many years, already, the American Grain In- 

 spection certificates have been very unsatisfactory and immense losses 

 were caused to the buyers on this side by the careless inspection of 

 American grain shipped for export. It has been said by American op- 

 ponents of the bills mentioned above that the fixing of grades on bet- 

 ter and higher standards would injure the export trade, and that the 

 European buyers will not buy anything but the grades which have al- 

 ways been shipped and to which they are accustomed. 



"Many important firms in the importing centers on this side have 

 absolutely given up importing American corn, taught by the experi- 

 ence of several years, when a single parcel of this article, certified No. 

 2 mixed, sail mixed, etc., and still showing 30 to 90 per cent damage on 

 arrival, caused a loss greater than the small gain made on many ship- 

 ments together. They prefer to buy from Argentina, Russia and the 

 Danube. A better inspection, however, and certificates which give suf- 



