The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-03
TWILL HELP FLOUR
Agreement of Transatlantic Lines
to Advance Rates.
CUTS OUT WHEAT'S ADVANTAGE
And Removes Discriminat ion Against
the Products of MinneapoIis'
Great Mills.

The milling industry of the northwest is
profoundly affected by the agreement of
the principal transatlantic steamship
lines to advance rates. The new rates
will apply on the three great export ar
ticles of the country = grain, flour and
produce-and they have been boosted
about 20 per cent over last years tariff.
If the rates are maintained and the fig
ures given out are strictly adhered to by
the ocean carriers, the most serious han
dicap which has ever defeated the milling
industry will have been removed. This
handicap is the discrimination of carriers
in favor of wheat against -four which has
demoralized the export trade Of Mirne-
apolis for months. In fact this discrim-
ination has been carrid or to an extent
that threatened the humiliation of the
export -Four business.
The agreement of the steamship lines
to advance and maintain rates is of the
utmost Importance in this territory. With
stable rates placing -four and wheat on
the same basis, the export business in the
manufactured product will receive a ire
mendous impetus, and will affect directly
and Indirectly nearly $4,000 men whose in
terests are identical with the milling in
dustry.
The steamship companies, it is under
stood, have formed a gigantic pool to
control the export traffic OF the country.
Realizing that the Gripping OF the flour
trade must result in loss Of revenue,
they have determined to put stop to the
discrimination against flour while ad-
vancing rates On both wheat and flour.
The increases decided upon are as
follows: Grain, minimum from I'D to sd
per busheI: flour from Is Sd to Is Cd per
ton, provisions from Is cd to los per ton.
The lines included in the pooling scheme
are the White Star Line and the Cunard
line. the Atlantic Transport line, the
Nautical line, the Leyland line, Wilson
line, Furnes and Leyland line, Lampert
& Holt line, American and Red Star lines,
Philadelphia and Manchester line, Ches-
apeake & Ohio Steamship company, Vir-
ginia line and the Dominion line. w. c..
Edgar, in discussing the pooling arrange
ment, said:
II they can, by a combination stop the de-
moraization In freight rates on wheat and
the products Of wheat, it will benefit the ex-
port flour trade, because in the rush for
low price rates they usually pass flour and
put the concessions all on wheat The mill
ers have nothing to fear from reasonable
rates. OF course, to be of service, the rate
on -four must be low enough to keep the
business moving. The complaint of the mill
ers has not been that rates were too high
but that the rate on wheat was altogether too
low. The new combination ought to improve
materially the situation.
Henry l.. Little, manager of the Pills
bury Washburn company, is not yet pre-
pared to discuss the action of the steam
ship companies. He said:
l am not advised as to the correctness of
their figures, and prefer to wait Tor further
information. l need hardly say, however,
that any arrangement which will put stop
to the discrimination against flour in favor of
wheat, which has greatly crippled the ex-
port business of our mills, will be a great
boon to the milling industry of the north
west. st.'' -.