The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-17
FLOUR EXPORTS
PRODUCT OF UNITED STATES IN
GREATER DEMAND THAN EVER.
Over 1s,oOO,0 900 Barrels Sent Abroad
Last Year, Surprising ALI Preyi-
Gus Records of This Country.
sD.cial to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON. July l6.-The millers OF
the United States. like its manufacturer
generally. have made their banner record
in the fiscal year 1899. While wheat, corn.
oats, corn meal, oatmeal. rye, and in fact all
lines Of breadstuffs show a reduction In ex-
portation. by reason of the decreased de-
mand abroad. -four alone shows an increase,
and not only an increase. but reaches the
highest point in the history OF -four exporta-
ton. For the fiscal year the total exporta-
ton OF flour is over 1s.Ooo,ooo barrels. repre-
senting over 100000 bushels of wheat,
while no preceding year shows as great an
expectation Of -four. While -four is not in
cluded with manufactures in the general
classification of the Treasury Bureau of
Statistics. being retained under the general
term "breadstuffs,' the fact that American
labor and the results OF American enterprise
enter into its transition from wheat to -four.
and thus prove advantageous to labor and
business enterprise, adds to the satisfaction
with which Americans will note the steady
growth in the expectation of flour, even in
the face of the reduced demand abroad for
breadstuffs. The shortage in breadstuffs in
other parts OF the world in 1897
and 1893 caused a general advance
~ PiANCSs IL AZ - 1AOPo
of the year just past resulted In lower
prices and less demand. This fact accounts
for the reduction in our expectation in other
lines of breadstuffs. and that -four exports
should have continued to increase in the
face of the reduction in other lines is espe-
cially gratifying 10 those interested In see
ing American labor participate as largely as
possible in the profits of American exporta.
tfons.
The average price of a busheI of wheat
exported during the fiscal year 1899 was
74.77 cents. and the average price for the
wheat exported in the form of -four was
s7.S7 cents. calculating that four and one
half bushels OF wheat are utilized in the
production Of a barrel Of -four. This adds
1875 cents to the amount OF money received
for each bushel of wheat sent abroad in
this form. thus bringing to American indus
try over 100000 during the year as a
compensation to the enterprise which trans
formed the 100000 bushels of grain into
the $4,000. 900 barrels of -four exported.
The expectation of -four from the United
States has made its chief development since
followed the old process of 1850 in the manu-
facture of flour. while European millers
were experimenting with and bringing to
a result the foreign flour trade of the
United States met with serious reverses
during the period from 1850 to 1875. Euro
pean consumers prefering to buy the wheat
and themselves transform 1t into -four by
their new process, which the millers of the
United States had not then adopted. Writ
ing OF this period of depression in the ex-
port trade Of American -four. Charles A.
P1ilsbury says that, while our millers in
1854 sent 1,s46,OO barrels of -four to Great
Britain alone, they sent in 1865 only 300. 200
barrels TO all Europe" and that while dur
ing the five years ending with 1880 over SO
per cent. Of the value of wheat and -four
exports was flour, in the five years 1905 only
27.8 per cent. Of wheat and flour exports
was in -four" In 1875 the expectations of
wheat flour were 3.913.1S barrels, in 1850 g.
231. III, in 1895 Is. 26S, 500 and In 1899 will be
about $4,000 barrels, the exact figures
having not yet been completed by the treas
ury Bureau Of Statistics.
While there Is a gratifying increase in the
expectation of flour in every direction, the
most strongly marked growth Is toward the
Orient. The expectations of flour to Hong
Kong in the year 1899 will considerably ex-
Der was but 37S,634. Flour for Hong-Kong
goes mostly to China. though considerable
quantities are shipped direct from Hong
Kong to Japan, the Philippines and various
exports of -four have grown from 1857 bar
rels in 1889 TO about .225,O0 in 1899, to all
Asia from 418, 1853 barrels in 1889 to about
1,75o,0o barrels I'm 1899. To South America
the growth has been less rapid, the total for
1889 being 1,06S,167 barrels, while that for
1899 will be but a little more than the figure
for a decade ago. Germany, TO which we
sent but 1909 barrels of -four In 1889, takes
in 1899 nearly 10000 barrels, this being a
large increase over last year. Netherlands,
TO which we sent but go, $50 barrels in 1889
took in 1888 over 1000, 600 barrels. the figures
for 1888 not being yet completed. To the
were 5,271, IA barrels, and in 1899 will exceed
100000 barrels.