The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-01-21
A HShut Down., Quietus.

In this age of trusts and rumors of trusts. the
people of every manufacturing town are unable
| to look with complacency on any meeting
together of mill and factory owners. They fear
| a combine consolidation that will close the
doors of their industries. and every heresay
| concoction of nervous minds is immediately ex-
agerated ten-fold by the swift process OF going
| the rounds. and people are then prepared to re-
| ceiVe any flying report and magnify it into
something of vast proportions and evil portent.
That this should be SO is not strange and neither
| is it peculiar to any town or locality.
A rumor was industriously circulated on the
streets Monday that the Quaker Milling Co. had
Joined the "trust" and would close their i'm.
mense plant at this place tomorrow. 1t was
| said that Mr.. Schumacher. the cat meal King,
was at the head of the combine and he had
already given orders for the shutting down of
Quaker Mills The report gained credence and
| created great uneasiness in the minds of our
people who justly regard the Quaker Mills as
one of the most important establishments in
| Ravenna
In an interview with Mr., E. &. Crowell, Sec
retary of the company. he said: "There has
| been no organization of any kind formed among
the oat meal proprietors of the country and it
is very doubtful whether such plan will ever
| be consummated. In the first place. the mill
| H.
pose was simply consolidation of the various
| concerns into one company by selling and trans
ferring to it the absolute title and ownership Of
| the various plants iaclud ded in the ARRANGEMENT
| Its formation would be identicaliy the same as
| that of the United Glass Coz LAS to the rumor
| that our mills will close Thursday" continued
Mr. Crowell, lit is sufficient to say that it is an
| Idle report and too ridiculous to require de-
| NAL. You may say that whatever the result of
| future action ON the part of oat meal proprie-
tors. no step will ever be taken by this company
| that will close lis mill at Ravenna In any
| event, this mill will continue to run to its ut
most capacity, and the people of Ravenna need
| borrow no trouble over that matter. Our trade
| was never larger and we are crowded to fill our
| orders.''
why was the consolidation not effected2''
inquired the reporter.
Inability to agree on the value of the var
ious plants" replied Mr.. C. Each company
thought It's property and trade nearly if not
quite as important as that of the others, and as
result. no agreement was reached, and as I
said before, it is doubtful if one is made -
MIR. Crowell, is it not true. as matter of
fact, that your company sells more oat meal in
the Eastern markets than any mill in the United
States9'
at is. and our entire Eastern trade is sup
piled wholly from this mill. We ship no meal
west from this point. for we have large west
ern mill that supplies our Western trade"
would such a consolidation as you mention
cd advance the price of oat meal to the con-
sumer?"
1T would not The retail dealer has asked
: and received cents per pound for years. no
| matter what the variations in the price charged
him by the middle men. Take it as oat meal is
l harr 4bo
pounds. 1t costs the dealer $3.50. He sells it
for $40 That is q splendid profit and leaves
a wide margin before any increase in price to
him would cause or justify any advance to the
consumer. 1t would not affect his interests one
way or the other. because the new company
would pursue the same policy as that of the in
dividual mills at present-to keep the price at
l fair profit mark. 1t would be manifest suicide
3 to % beyond the limits of justice to manufac-
turer and consumer"
r Then The statements in the daily papers that
=. the trust had been formed and that such mills
3 would be operated as their geographical loca
tion and the condition of the market would bes
a war; ant -
Are purely Imaginary said Mr.. Crowell
1.-THE facts are that a meeting W Is he'd last
i Tuesday in Chicago, at which was present. o
8 course the various newspapers sent reporters tt
e ascertain the purposes ana dolngS OF TINS con
ference of oat meal men. But as nothing hat
been consummated there was nothing to tell
and all the gentlemen approached on the sub
l. ject were reticent to a man, and it is the OLE
4 story of newspaper enterprise AS matter
now stand. the oat meal mills sustain exactl,
IS the same relationship toward each other as tina
S existing before any conference was held II
n any event. Quaker Mills will be operated tt
| their full capacity and the only shut downs
will be the legitimate ones for repairs.''
, Being questioned as to the business his com
pany east and west Mr.. Crowell said that tn
j., combined Quaker output of oat meal probabl
exceeded that of any single establishment ii
- the country.
Our citizens will be grati1ed to learn iron
n such reliable source that the continued oper
e alton of this magnificent plant is assured. an
" to know that the great establishment, who's
,f products have made Ravenna famous the coun
n try over, still retains its individuality.
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