Graham guardian., 1895-04-13
Citizens Cooperate for Self Protec-
ton.
Stafford, Graham Co.,

space in your valuable paper to
speak upon a subject ofimportance
to the people of this valley. A
few weeks ago some of the enter
prising citizens of this vicinity con-
ceived the idea of forming a Coop
erative company for the purpose of
erecting foul mill, to be owned
and operated by the people, for the
purpose of grinding the peoples
grain. When this idea was first
made public it met with some op-
position. The question was asked,
what necessity have we for more
mills, have we not mills enough
to grind all the grain crop of the
valley before another harvest will
come around? l would say, yes,
we have, and that would be suffi-
cient, if other conditions desired,
were equal to that. But, while
those other conditions are yet alb
sent, there exists an actual necess-
ity for another flour mill. Now
let us look into this subject, and
see if this necessity does exist. l
can call to mind mill owners in the
Territory of Utah, who have run
their mills on custom grain; whose
regular toll was one tenth of all
grain that they ground, and out of
this tenth they paid their millers
fair, living wages and made a lib
eral profit on their investment,
when grain was no higher than ii
is in this valley at the present
prices. What does the farmer
have to pay for grinding his grain
here in Arizona? In Graham
county the farmer takes load OF
grain to the mill, it is put on the
scales weighed, them sampled OF
docked, on an average of about
per cent. is deducted for waste,
then he pays 35 cents per hundred
pounds to have it ground. The
mill owner will then give him &c
pounds of good flour (where the
mill is able to make good -four
and 40 pounds of bran and shorts;
these amounts return the one hun
dred pounds back to the grain
owner, less the doclkage. Take
notice now, the farmer has paid 81
cents for grinding that hundred
pounds of wheat, His grain has
been docked enough to make it
clean and pure and fit for the roll
ers. The grain is ground, Clio in
-four, 40 in bran and shorts are
given to the grain owner. Is this
all he should get? 1t may be il
weight but not in valve. Seventy
pounds of good -four for each hun
dred pounds of good wheat is 6
fair average to count upon and this
should be of the best quality o
flour. If a lower grade of flour i:
put in it should then be more thar
10 pounds. But we only get 6(
pounds, then the mill owner keep!
10 pounds of our best -four and
ITrTpays us III leaan and shorts. Wha
is the difference between -four an
bran? Flour is worth from l.
to cents and bran is worth 3-4 t
l cent per pound, thus making
difference of a little over l 3-4 cts
on every pound, or on every te
pounds of flour a difference of fror
II to 20 cents in favor of the mil
owner, add this to the 35 cent
paid for grinding the hundre
pounds of wheat, and the little &C
vantage of the dockage that ma
come to the mill owner, and yo
will find the grain owner has pal
a little over so cents for grindin
his hundred pounds of wheat.
These calculations may be di!
puted by some parties as being il
correct, but in this regard l wis
to say that am not speaking fror
hearsay, for l have been connecte
with the flour mill business for 2
years past, and know about wha
proportion of flour can be mad
from wheat, both in Arizona an
Utah, and / can base these calculs
tions on the judgement of old mil
manufacturers of the east.
There is also another way for tn
farmer to pay for the grinding c
his grain by allowing the mill owl
er to take 20 pounds of wheat ou
of each 100 pounds, thereby 2
pounds is paying for the grindin
of 80 pounds, this is more exper
sive than it would be to pay 35 ct
for the 20 pounds of wheat. Th
present rate of grinding woul
bring the grain owner IL pound
of -four and s pounds of bran an
shorts; this would count in valu
from 36 to A cents, and outsid
of this he would be losing at tn
same ratio by not getting the flu
amount of flour from his 80 pound
of wheat. In either way the farm
er is paying an enormous price fo
the grinding of his grain.
After understanding things i
this light, will any man who pre-
duces grain from the soil {
the Gila Valley, say there is not
necessity for another mill, to b
| i L. /. i C.