The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-04-11
THEY NEED CHICAGO
Lumbermen Say the North Western
Is Blocking Them.
DISCRIMINATION IS CHARGED
That Road Refuses to Grant the New
Rate and Wants 1t With
drawn.

Minneapolis lumbermen condemn as un-
just discrimination the refusal of the
North Western system to grant Mime
apolis Chicago lumber rate of cents a
hundred, as has been done by all other
Minneapolis Chicago lines. The attitude
OF the North Western, which practically
dictates the policy of the Omaha, amounts
to an effort to drive Minneapolis lumber
out OF the Chicago market. The North
Western refuses to grant the rate and is
also endeavoring to force the other lines
to withdraw it.
Chicago is a big market for low grade
lumber owing to the immense demand
coming from the manufacturing concerns.
If the Minneapolis lumbermen are unable
to market this low grade material there,
it means a big loss as there is no other
market OF that kind within reach of the
local mills The percentage of this low
grade lumber in each years cut is con-
stantly increasing as the quality of the
logs deteriorates. Duluth is so situated
that her mills can ship this lumber east
by water. Minneapolis is dependent upon
the Chicago demand. 1t is charged that
it has been the policy of the North
Western for years to make rate that will
fill Chicago up with the low grade lumber
shipped from Duluth to the detri1nent of
Minneapolis. This policy is said to be
more pronounced this year.
If Minneapolis mills are to participate
in this Chicago trade, it must be before
the low rates made by the lake carriers
with the opening Of navigation make it
impossible. This year the Chicago de-
mand was good The all rail rate from
Duluth was Is cents hundred and from
Minneapolis 13 cents a hundred, there be-
ing thus difference Of cents between
the two sources Of supply.
The North Western has more of a
"cinch" ON the business at the head of the
lakes. To give the mills there the bust
ness, it made a secret rate of 10 cents
and began moving large quantities of lum-
Der to Chicago. Some weeks ago the
North Western published this rate. This
was followed by reduction in the Mime
apolis- Chicago rate to cents hundred,
published by the Minneapolis & St Louis
to protect this market. The Milwaukee
and other lines followed. The North
Western refuses to make the rate and is
endeavoring to persuade the other lines
to put the rates back to the old tariff, 10
cents from Minneapolis and Is cents from
Duluth. The lumbermen insist that the
only way to protect this market in the
future is to keep the rate at cents, the
regulation 2 cents under the rate usually
made by the North Western when it be-
gins to beat Minneapolis lumber out in the
Chicago trade. Other lines are shy of the
North Westerns advances, because they
believe the North Western already has a
large volume of business contracted at 10
cents and, as in the past, there is no GER
tainty that the rate can be maintained.
The lumbermen say that the North West
ern has crowded the Chicago market with
Duluth lumber SO that they must now wait
for better demand In the meantime the
lake carriers will be at work on the low
cargo rate and the local mills are shut
out Of a large portion of the business