St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-04-04
BUSINESS COMBINE.
Small Flour Mills Said to Be Con-
solidating Against the Syndi-

Small Flour Mills Said to Be Con-
solidafing Against the SyHdi-
cate.
'CompetltiOu is the life of trade'' has
come to be regarded as an almost aXi-
omatic truth. 1t will probably be sup
plemented before many years pass, the
addition of the words land combination
Tor cons0lidation)i the life preserver
OF trade" Every year it becomes more
evident that the small dealer, or trader,
III Whatever line, must go to the wall.
Gigantic combinations are driving him
from the field. He can't bear up 'gainSt
masses of capital and all the advantages
that unlimited capital carries with it,
The latest combination i'll Minneapolis
business is said to be a consolidation of
the smaller milling concerns. This
combination embraces, it is said, all or
nearly all the flour mills not under the
control of the Pillsbury-W ashburn syn
dicate. 1t is stated. on good authority,
that the combination has been made.
Details are meager.
About a year ago the cOnSummation
of the PillSbury-W aShburn deal was
announced. 1t was the subject of 10
end OF comment, and it inaugurated, so
far as the Northwest is concerned, the
Investment of great blocks of English
capital i'll American enterprises. The
wisdom of the EngliShmen in buying
up the PillSbury and Washburn mills
and the st. Anthony falls water power
was shown by tie handsome dividend
which was turned over to the stock
holders at the yearly settlement. But
the effect of the Pillsbury consolidation
has gone still further. 1t has compelled
oil .,E l.
into a combine of their own or come
under the wing of the great; institution
managed by c. a. PillSbury. The Sidle-
Fletcher Holmes company, joint stock
corporation, is under control of G.. A.
Pillsbury. The Pillsbury concern made
a valiant effort to secure the control of
the Z. q. Washburn mills, but the firm
OF WaShburn-CroS6y company defeated
them, and the mills are still in their
possession.
These are the causes, it is said, which
have led up to the combination now
practically cOnSummated. The fight
over the control of the G. G. WaShburn
mills, made between the PillSbury-
Washburn syndicate and the WASH
burn-CrOSby company, first opened the
eyes of the smaller millers to the power
of the syndicate. They saw for the first
time the power of that syndicate, the
power which came of consolidation, and
they were amazed.
Since that time they have been made
acquainted with the syndicate's power
i'll other directions. They felt it through
the channels of regular business. They
found that the broad sides of the NAM
moth syndicate were crushing them
against the bars of the cage. They
would be driven from the market They
determined that the only possible
means of eXtrication for them was to
organize and return the pressure. They
determined to pool their issues and
strike back.
This combination is, so far, only in a
nebulous state. Everything is ready
for the hand of the finiShtr. The whole
plan has been talked over and nothing
remains TO be done but to take action.
1t is stated that within month all the
smaller mills will be placed under one
management, with one set of grain men,
and all the other economies that come
of concerted action. These are the mills
which are mentioned as parties to the
combinations:
Cataract mills. Columbia, Crown
Roller, Galaxy. Minneapolis mill,
Northwestern, Zenith, Petit and the
Washburn, Crosby u Co. mills.
The Wash6urn-CroSby are certainly
preparing to enlarge their capacity and
to possess everything that will aid them
i'll their business. Yesterday the G. G.
Washburn company, the owner of the
mills operated by Washburn. Crosby &
Co., took out a $50, 900 permit for altera-
tons inside the mills. Washburn,
Crosby u Co. are preparing to make
fight for the wheat market