The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-20
THE. MILLERS ACTIVE
A Representative Goes to New York to
Present Their Side,

A Representative Goes to New York to
Present Their Side.
The Minneapolis milers will fight against
the proposed advance by every means in
thcir power. The news of the proposed
action, while not entirely unexpected, was
enough Of a surprise to leave the nillers
without and definite plan of procedure.
1t is not that the right Of the freight men
to get together and make advance is
questioned; but it Is said the action would
work great injustice to the miers who
are more heavily sold ahead than usual,
and who made the future rates in the firm
belief that there would be no material adj
vance in rates. Yet it is hard to see what
the milers can do except to appeal to the
interstate commerce commission, course
unsatisfactory at the best and not likely
to bring great results. p,
AS soon is it was learned here that the
traffic officials were to act upon the mat
ter of an advance in flour rates, Charles
c.. Bovey, representing the Minneapolis
milling interests, went to Chicago. Mr..
Bovey will accompany the officials east
so that in the conference with the traffic
lnen of the eastern trunk lines, the mill
ers' side Of the question may be presented.
The prospective advance is the most
serious thing the Minneapolis millers have
had to face, for a long time. It means
are raised.
Future Orders.
In round figures the Minneapolis mills
have on their books orders for 100000
barrels Of -four for future delivery One
large company is known, to have '425,000
barrels sold ahead, and another Is re-
ported to have very close to 100000 bar
rels so entered. With the orders on the
books Of a third large company, and the
future sales of the smaller companies,
1,500, 900 barrels is thought to be con-
sentative estimate of the quantity of flour
on the books, all of it sold on the basis of
freight rates existing at the time Of sale.
If the traffic men do the most that has
been suggested it will mean that the mill
ers will have to pay SIC per barrel more
on the bulk of this flour than figured upon
at the time of sale. ''fEr ~
Some of this business still open is based
on lake and rail rates and some of 1t on
all rail. A good part of the business was
entered at figures allowing about 25c for
the cost of getting the flour east. The
men who manage the traffic on the trunk
lines east Of Buffalo are said to be unani-
mously in favor Of a rate of &c from chi
cago to New York, according to tele-
gram received this morning by the man
ager of a. Minneapolis company. The
western traffic men are inclined to be
more conservative, believing that the mill
ing industry will be hurt by this arbitrary
advance, and it Is upon the friendliness of
these western men that the Minneapolis
millers rely for protection.
The Minneapolis milers contend that
at the time the business was entered,
there was semi official assurance that
there would be no important changes in
rates.
- VIII Try to Delay Advance.
Should all efforts to prevent a rise in
rates, prove unavailing, the naillers will
try to have the date for it to go into
effect placed as far ahead as possible. Yet
even If the mills were to grind at their
utmost capacity, deliver all flour upon old
business exclusively and force the buyers
to accept delivery ahead of time they
could not clear Up this old business in
much less than twenty-five days