The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-11-08
MILLERS MAY COMBINE
Mr.. r. e. PERRY, OF THIS CITY, Is
WORKING OUT THE PLAN.
The Three Organizations of Millers
VIII Probably Join Hands to Con-
troll Foreign Cereal Market.

troll Foreign Cereal Market.
L. e Perry, of this city, secretary of the
Winter Wheat MillerS' League, the strong
est milling organization in the world, is
hard at work Ierfectng an organization of
all the millers of the country TO control the
foreign market for cereals. At present there
are three national organizations, but, as
they do not work in common, little is &C
compished ty either of them and they are
left open 70 individual attacks by opposing
forces.
One of the prime necessities for the new
organization is the reconstruction Of the
Interstate-commerce Commission, which, it
has been found. is helpless TO correct evils
in freight rate determinations.
With the coming of the present prosperity
the railroads in the Central Passenger AS
ISOLATION, which includes all the roads in
the cereal belt, raised the rate on hauling
flour several points, but left the rate on
wheat shipments the same as IL had BEEN
Until that time the two commodities had
teen hauled at the same tonnage rates, but
in increasing the rate the railroads claimed
that the classification should be higher
because of the loss By damage In transit on
-four shipments.
The different milling organizations gath
cred statistics and presented them to the
railroads, showing that they had paid no
more damages from loss on account of flour
shipments than they had on wheat ship
ments on account of leaky cars.
REFUSED TO CHANGE RATE.
Notwithstanding this showing the rail-
roads, so Mr.. Perry says, refused to change
the new rate and the millers appealed to
the Interstate-commerce Commission to pro-
| tect them against the discrimination. The
| CO mmssion reviewed the case, and while
admitting the discrimination and counseling
| tie railroads 10 desist, stated that the
| case was one IN which the commission could
lot enforce ruling.
| The millers then took steps to create
| national organization by merging the three
| organizations in one. The Winter Wheat
| Millers League took the initiative and at
| once interested the National Milling AsSo-
| citation and the Southwest MillerS Associa-
| ton in the plan. The two latter organiza-
and Mr.. Perry has every assurance that
| the combined forces in the northeast and
southwest, represented in the consolidated
/ associations, will join forces with the
Winter Wheat Milers' League which OPP
| crates III the middle West.
Inasmuch as there are many technicalites
| tending to keep the two organizations apart
| there Is In his mind. no doubt that they will
be together, but perhaps not before the
| coming session OF Congress Is ever.
The reason for this is that there are many
members of both organizations who have
| personal grievances against members In the
| other associations and 1t is not considered
| wise to enforce the ruling until after the
| millers have secured what legislation they
| require because 81 split In the ranks at this
| time would disrupt both organizations and
| I'LL all chance of securing favorable legiSla-
| ton
The two great organizations. working to-
| gether, have drafted BILL which has been
| placed in the hands of Senator Cullom. the
| father of the Interstate-commerce Commits
son @ me W TS S will Thea AMEND sne fhs
present laws as to give the Interstate
commerce Commission the power to enforce
| whichever rulings II makes in such cases as
the one between the millers and the rail-
| roads.
A petition which will accompany the bill
| will state that at the present high rates
| for freight the English millers are given
| the benefit by our government of a high
tariff which their own government refused
| them. The low freight charges on wheat
admit of sending grain into Great Britain
cheap enough TO allow English millers to
| grind American wheat into flour and sell ii
| from Is to 81 cents a barrel less than Amer
| lean millers can afford to. II Is claimed
that flour has always been classed as a
| commodity by the railroads and il should be
| when 1t is considered that by charging a
higher rate for hauling flour American mills
Il
| kets.
AT A CLOSE MARGIN.
Mr.. Perry said in discussing the matter
that mllers are accustomed to marketing
their goods IN the foreign markets at a
close margin, generally not more than 3
or cents barrel, and that while this is
possible when -four is not Disseminated
against by the railroads, it is impossible
when English millers can buy wheat and
grind 1t cheaper than the American miller
can ship il into the English markets. In
Mr.. Perrys opinion this condition is re-
sponsible for the present low prices of -four
foreign markets closed against them by the
high transportation charges and must there
fore unload their product on the home mar
ket which is glutted, and therefore ruin
ously competitive. According TO him there
are flour mills In this city the business OF
which is almost altogether in the export
market All are suffering for market
Mr.. Henry ID. Yoder, OF the Blanton Mill.
ing Company, has but recently returned
from England where he went In the inter
ests of his business. He found the English
millers buying American wheat and selling
flour in some cases 80 cents a barrel below
the price of American flour, and all be-
| cause American millers could not afford &c
! pay the high transportation charges made
| by the railroads. When the railroads anC
| eliminating their officials say that they
have so much high-class freight offered tina
| they are taxed to their capacity TO handle
ii and they do not care to accept any ship
ments of commodities even at the advanced
| prices. Mr. Perry hopes to have the con
| solidation of the milling organizations com
pleted after the proposed bill has beer
passed by Congress.