Morris tribune., 1883-10-06
THE MILLERS' ASSOCIATION, OR
PIONEER PRESS ORPHAN.

PIONEER PRESS ORPHAN.
The Pioneer Press comes out, as it
naturally should, to the assistance of
the Millers' Association, i'll complet-
ing the farmers slaughter. We do not
pretend to know the inward sentiments
of that papers heart, but we are not
mistaken in the direct policy 1t adj
vocates in this contest, on the side OF
the rich grown monopoly, against the
best interests of these hard working
people of our state. IN connection
with this matter as it sees it, it speaks
about maintaining the commercial
supremacy of Minnesota i'll the North
vest but this does not imply as it
would have us believe, "supremacy'
of the Association in accommodating
millions of wealth to the extent Of
sinking the farmer into poverty and
starvation all the days of his life. 1t
speaks Of the suicidal freak OF ship
ping our hard grades to the mills Of
New York, and leaving the soft at
home, and why, because it puts that
much beyond the reach of the Associ-
alton, and the reason for it is that it
will not pay as much for it as will
those of New York. It would not
have the farmer resort to this course
of robbing the Association, although
it is the only way the price Of the COM
modify can be forced up to a living
profit for farmers. If the Association
will not pay as much as will the New
York mills, then we say to'the Pho
neer, let 1.-The commercial supremacy
of Minnesota go to the dogs. We
contend that if this ''supremacy," of
which we feel as proud as that pa
per. is to be maintained at the farm
er's expense and the Associations
profit, it must go, for it would he far
better to have none at all than at
such sacrifice.
Such humiliating supremacy is
not one that the state can crave, or
could in its honor boast. If the estab-
lishment of a vigorous competing
wheat market, causes every mill be-
longing to the Association to close, the
sooner that time comes the better it
will be for all; but such threatening
crisis is too far beyond the bounds OF
reason to talk about, for it can bring
no such results. 1t is plain to be seen
that our mills can grind the wheat,
take the -four east and sell it in the
markets there fully as low, as the
mills east can come here after it, and
grind it into flour there, and at the
same time pay as much iii our markets
for it, as do eastern mills. The only
difference being as to whether it shall
be taken east in wheat or fiour-it is
all the same in principle.
The eastern mills cannot steal our
Supremacy by paying as much for
wheat as we do, leaving us the same
lines of transportation east for our
-four as they have for taking the grain
unground. But the Associations
troubles do not exist in anything of
this character; it is only pretense,
very false, and well covered UP by
master hands. What damages the
Association beyond redemption, is,
that it is away, and off from the head
of lake navigation; its mills should be
nearer the great lakes, and then it
would save the freight from Minneap-
oils to the lake, and this is the place
where the eastern mills get ahead of
the Association. Generally speaking,
after wheat is once upon the cars, it
can be taken to Duluth for the same
price that it goes to Minneapolis.
If the farmers will only consent to
pay the extra handling, and extra
freights from Minneapolis to Duluth,
the Pioneers supremacy" would be
restored in the twinkling of an eye,
but they will probably not do SO. The
Associations mills were we'll enough
located at Minneapolis, perhaps, in
years gone by, but the country has
grown too large outside of that point
to have them remain there at profit
any longer. The Association. must
take up its bed and walk to the great
lakes, or sink into obscurity so far as
an extensive milling business is con-
cerned.