Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-10-03

Buffalo, N. Y, Oct. 1.-The efforts
| being made by the leading millers of
| the country and the chief members
| Of the national millers' association to
bring about an arrangement which
| viii provide a set OF rules regulating
the output Of -four on the market II
fixing "a minimum price for Hour APP
pear to be on the point of reaching
a successful issue. The details of the
plan have been worked out and made
known to the principal millers in the
country, and the agreement of the
| large millers of winter and spring
wheat to abide by the regulations, or
in other words, to enter the combina-
ton, is all that is now lacking.
Aside from the Northwest Buffalo
holds the key to the situation, and ~g-
orous efforts have, ii is said, been
mad to bring the Buffalo millers into
the movement. The leading millers of
this city have been interviewed and
their statements will be published In
tomorrow mornings papers. From
these it would appear that millers Of
spring wheat have all along been very
anxious for the contamination Of the
combination, but that the winter
wheat millers have, until very recent
ly, held aloof. To fully understand
the movement it may be said that two
months ago at a meeting Of leaders Of
the national millers' association In
Minneapolis, 1t was suggested that a
plan be formulated whereby the brok-
ers and other outsiders could not toy
with the -four market as they saw fit
and force the millers to dance to their
pnt,ci. hr,t hp whtch thn rniltnpc than
selves could control the market to an
extent sufficient t protect themselves,
IL nothing more. The men at this
meeting were principally spring wheat
millers. The spring wheat miilers
produced about two-thirds Of the -four
of the country. Their action was
rendered doubly necessary by the fact
that the markets are at present flood
ed by an over-productiOn of about r.
600, 900 barrels Of -four. After two
weeks more deliberation a plan was
worked out and submitted for judg-
ment. This plan proposed to form a
combination of millers and fix the
minimum price at which the output of
the mills will be sold. No miller may
go under this price. All may sell
above it. To solve the over-production
problem it was decided to have all
mills reduce their production - per
| cent. which would make a difference
| of almost 4.0OO.O 600 barrels in a year.
If the market should pick up at any
time the per cen Of the reduction in
production would be proportionately
reduced. All mills failing TO reduce
their products when notified, shall,
according TO the agreement pay TO the
| association or combine 10 cents for
| every barrel Of flour in eXcess of the
| agreed rate of production. The agree
| ment is to hold for a year, and to be
| renewed thereafter yearly If satisfac-
tory.
The opposition of the winter wheat
millers to entering the combination
lay in the fact that they would con-
| stitute a considerable minority. hay
ing only one-third representation. The
| orders reducing or increasing the out
| put of -four from time TO time would
be issued by a committee Of which
| the spring millers would have two
! thirds voice. And in agreeing to abide
| by the decision and directions Of that
committee the winte: wheat mlllers
| would be placing themselves at the
mercy of the spring wheat millcrs, for
during the season of the winter mill
ers' busy days the spring miilcrs could
better afford than at any other time
to slow down. Matters thus looked
blue for the plan until last week when
an understanding gained solid ground
that the winter millers would arrange
| an association Of their own with pre-
cisely similar regulations to those pro-
posed by the spring millers and would
act honorably with the spring millers.
although without any binding agree
ment tying themselves up. This
| cleared the atmosphere and now the
plan Is waiting only for all the spring
| millers and all the winter millers to
| get into their respective folds and -
range to act together tremendously.