The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-01-20
A GRAND INTEREST.
Figures Showing the Supremacy Import
ant Interests Protected by the Depart
ment of Agriculture.

ant Interests Protected by the Depart
ment of Agriculture.
An estimate may be obtained of the
vast cereal wealth of the Northwest.
and the enterprise which has kept pace
with its development, from an interest
ing list of elevators and warehouses in
Minnesota and Dakota recently pub
lished in the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
The following is summary of the list:
Total number of elevators and ware.
houses in Minnesota and Dakota. 1918
Total capacity in country outside ter
minal points. bushels. .......... 80, 1914 400
Total capacity, Minneapolis. ....... 9,s34,5OO
Total capacity, st. Paul............... 1,Ss}0OO
Grand total capacity .............. 54,44S9OO
1t is stated that in many sections of
the Northwest enterprisng capitalists
have gone into undeveloped territory
and erected elevators and warehouses
even before the settler came to raise
grain to fill them. The grain and
warehouse law passed by the Mime.
sofa Legislature, last winter, has been
a material aid to the development of
the system, as previous to that time the
elevator business was controlled BY
few powerful companies, who were
kept in power and free from competi-
ton by the railroad companies. The
increase in two years in the number of
elevators on lines directly tributary to
Minneapolis is nearly three-fold. A
noticeable feature is the great superior
ity in the character and capacity of the
buildings in the extreme northern Sec
tions over those in the longer settled
districts in the southern part of Mime
sofa. The cost of the elevators com
prising this vast system is computed at
ten million dollars, and their capacity
is more than equal to this years. crop,
fifty million bushels. The cost of re-
ceiving, clearing, elevating and
discharging grain is about two
cents per bushel, while elevator
companies, who buy and ship
grain, receive from three to three and
a half cents per bushel. Out of this
comes the interest on the investment,
all expense of maintaining and operat-
ing the elevator, insurance on grain,
cleaning and loss of weight and grade
at terminal points.
The thoughtful utterances of Presi-
dent Cleveland on our agricultural in
terests show that he fully appreciates
the Importance of the vast wealth
which is annually derived from the
rich farms of the West and Northwest.
The above statistics must convince
every reader of the great benefit to be
derived from wise and careful exer-
else of the powers and duties of the
Department of Agriculture, which is
charged with acquiring and diffusing
among the people useful information
on the subjects interesting to farmers.
Could efficient precautions be also
taken against grain corners, which
would seem, in view of the cereal
wealth of the Northwest impossible to
bring about, but which are, neverthe-
less, of no infrequent occurrence, the
country would be always ready to sup
ply the needs of other nations without
the intliction of burdens on our own
people, by an undue increase in the
price of grain. Should the present
troubles in Europe eliminate in gen
eral war, wonderful impetus would
be given to our grain interests, as the
supplies from India and other coun-
tries could not long be relied upon to
feed the warning nations. As the bur-
densome restrictions placed by the rail-
road companies, in Minnesota, upon
outside parties who desired to build
elevators and extend the system, have
been removed by law, we may look for
still more astonishing results during
the ensuing year in that great grain
producing region.-Aldany argus.