The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-03-03
FLOUR VS.. WHEAT
How Is Rate Discrimination Against
Flour to Be Overcome7
VIEWS OF PROMINENT MILLERs
They Are Gathered by the CONNER
cial West-C. c. BOvey Proposes
.-s- u Rate Basis. +.

Whether rate discrimination against
flour and in favor Of wheat is to be over
come by bringing railway traffic men to
the m1llers' way Of thinking by a cam
paign Of education or by an appeal to con-
gree for relief is discussed in this week.
issue OF the Commercial West. Men
prominently identified with the milling in
dustry have been interviewed and some
suggest definite plans.
G. H. Seybt of St. Louis believes that
the remedy lies in legislation which will
'effectually correct misapplication of the
railroad power He says that the rail-
roads are above the law. that they do
not arbitrate such matters, and that there
is too much personal relationship between
the elevators and the railroads to expect
relief from the roads. He believes that
congress should give the Interstate COM
merce commission power to enforce its
decisions ,r~.... .s>'..
Charles silverman of New Ulm suggests
that the millers Of the country unite in. a
request to the roads for better treatment.
G. NJ. Heath of La Crosse admits that
congressional action may be required to
settle the controversy. c. C. Bovey of the
Washburn-Crosbyc company puts his sug-
gestions as to remedy in the following
definite form:
Basis for n Rate.
The railroads give to the millers for ex-
port -four the same rate for export grain,
and if there is any difference In the cost of
handling let that that difference be charged
in the rate. In other words -four should at
all times enjoy the lowest grain rate plus tho
difference in handling. "
When the railroads compare flour with
| wheat I fear they compare domestic -four
with export wheat. This is not fair. They
should compare export -four with export
wheat Export -four can always be loaded
P1l ooit ~ fho ho1io
when you take carload of -four loaded full
capacity and compare it with a carload O;
grain loaded full capacity, 1t will be found
| that the difference in putting these two COM
modities on board ship at seaboard is very
| small. And when you consider the advant-
| the building up Of the great -four industry, +,
! is more than enough to outweigh any slight
difference in the cost of handling.
Relative Cost In Handling.
H. P Gallagher of the Northwestern
| Consolidated Milling company says:
| The majority Of traffic managers seem tt
consider wheat more tempting morsel thar
| -four. They evidently take this view, under
the suposition that wheat will load to maxi
mum capacity, thus increasing the earning
! power Of cars, and that -four will not. Thif
| idea is clearly at fault Flour can be, ano
all export flour is, handled identically the
same as wheat, as far as maximum loading
is concerned. The minimum -four CARLOAD
OF q, 900 pounds is thing Of the past, and
| yet traffic managers persist in basng theil
| calculations on this old minimum.
| The cost OF handling -four loaded to maxi
mum capacity, over the cost of handling
wheat loaded to maximum capacity, is les.
I than 20 cents per ton. The difrerential ii
rates consequently should not exceed on,
cent per 100 pounds. With such a differ
entail, these great milling Industries would
regain their lost export trade, while inlant
carriers would enjoy marked increase IL
tonnage and wonderful increase in earn
ings. -.-F-