The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1878-03-21
MINNESOTA FLOUR ABROAD.
What we have done in two months by way
Of Sending Flour to England-An
Immense Trade.
| From the St. Paul Pioneer-Press.

From the St. Paul Pioneer-Press.
AS the magnitude of the dirert
trade between Minnesota and London,
Glasgow and Liverpool in flour and
other products is not fully understood
by many of the people of Minnesota,
reporter of the Pioneer Press took
occasion yesterday to make some in
quiries regarding this new and i'm
portant feature of state industries.
He was furnished by the st. Paul
representative of the Erie & North
Shore despatch, C.. Z. Spencer, with
the following facts: The expectation
of flour in earnest, commenced about
two months ago, the pioneers IN the
the mattea being the firms OF Schur-
meier & Co., of st. Paul, j. A. Chris
tian & Co., and Hobart, Shuler, d
Co., of Minneapolis, all OF whom have
established agencies for the sale OF
their tlouri in Europe, shipped on
through ocean bills of lading to desti-
nation, the property being about
equally divided between the ports
above mentioned, with the eXpecta-
tons that Bristol, Hull, Manchester
and Rotterdam will SO soon as matters
can be arranged, come in for their
share of the assignments. These ven
lures made in the shape of THOUSAND
barrel shipments and upwards. soon
communicated themselves to other
mills, who eagerly sent their nvoys
to England, especially when the fact
became known that in almost every
instance there was, by shipping di-
rect, Il complete saving of the enor-
nous handling and commission
charges at New York, making of IT,
self Il handsome working profit for the
mills.
Hitherto our Minnesota tlours have
been supplied to the English and
Scotch markets by the middlemen at
New York, they reapiny Il commission
ranging from Is to % cents per bar
rel, besides the accumulation of
heavy terminal charges; all this is OBJ
waited in the direct trade. The
through ocean bill of lading takes the
flour through at Il specified rate-the
total amount to pay on the other side
always being computed on the face of
the bill pounds, shillings and pence.
The document becomes at once Il bill
of exchange, us it were, and in many
cases the draft thereto attached being
sold for more than its face value in
New York. Some of Onr mills expect
to soon be entirely Independent of the
home markets, and will dispose of all
their products through these Euro
pean agencies.
At 4 very low estimate thirty thous-
and barrels have been shipped direct
from this state to England during the
last two months, and the probabilities
are that we shall have Il much larger
trade in the near future. This for
eign trade has grown within the last
two months to such proportions that
it has become necessary to have agents
abroad who understand the American
ideas on the subject, and who will
look after the interests of the Ameri.
can shippers. Not less than five men
have been sent to London, Glasgow
Liverpool and other points to look
after millers' interests. But day or
two ago one of our millers received so
large an order 10y cable dispatch that
he could not till it instantly. and was
compelled to 90 around buying up all
the Hour with which to ill the order.
1t will surprise u good many of the
readers of the Pioneer Press to learn
sthat the bill of llding is made out
here in the city of st. Paul which
takes the -four right through to Glass.
gov, Liverpool. London. or any other
point on the other side of the \ Atlantic.
The foreign trade in tloar. in all prob.
ability, Will very largely increase,
and rs Minnesota flour becomes bet.
ter and more exclusively known the
demands on our mills will greatly
multiply.