The Minneapolis journal., 1902-05-26
HERE'S MORE PROOF
Treasury Statistics Show Falling
OFF In Flour Exports.
MILLERs' ARGUMENT BACKED UP
Railroads With These Results of
Favoring Wheat In Mind May
Reform Rates.

Flour millers the country over, will be
surprised by the report of the treasury
department issued on Saturday covering
the export -four trade. The figures show
a decline in exports that will come as
shock to all who are identified with the
trade, or who have the interest OF the
industry at heart.
In Minneapolis alone, the figures are not
surprising, as the local millers have been
saying for nearly year that If the rail-
roads did not cease to discrlmlnate
against -four in favor Of wheat, there
could be but one result, and that serious
injury to one of the greatest industries
in the country, and the industry teat mas
made Minneapolis.
For the first eighteen weeks OF 1901,
the export -four shipments out of Mime
apolis averaged 103, 700 barrels aweek. For
the first eighteen weeks of 1902. the aver
age weekly shipments for export We're
49, TOT barrels. For the entire eighteen
weeks of this year the export business
Is about AZ per cent of what 1t should
be ordinarily.
Discrimination without Reason.
This is the direct result of the attitude
of the railroads toward the great flour
milling industry. The local millers have
protested vigorously against the inequai- :
ty in rates which favored the export of
pointed out the short-sighted policy Of the
railroads in this respect. They have
demonstrated by tests that cars can be so
loaded with flour &that the advantage is
as great to the roads from tonnage
standpoint The benefit to the roads in
the long run from fostering the milling
industry and the larger tonnage that will
accrue to them ultimately from the haul
ing of the by-product, and the other mis-
cellaneous freight resulting, has been
pointed out. The fallacy of taking out
raw material to be manufactured into the
finished product in England or else
where, instead of at home, has. been
demonstrated. The millers have con-
tended that If the railroads did not
| change their policy, the great flour in
dustry would be crippled. 1t remained
for the treasury department in its regu-
lar routine to send out few figures that
speak more eloquently than words OF the
| injury that has befallen the Minneapolis
-four milling industry through this rail-
| road Discrimination
OF late there is disposition on the part
| of the roads to change their attitude.
Millers are pleased at the prospect OF
more favorable freight conditions
Figures Vindicate Millers.
| Charles c. Bovey of the Washburn-
| Crosby company, said this morning:
Inc treasury &uepdiLIncAI iopoA' CoIAN.
as substantiation Of the contention OF
| the Minneapolis millers that their foreign
trade Was being crippled by the railroad
discrimination in favor Of, wheat as
against flour. We are pleased to be able
| to say that the attitude of the roads has
changed materially of late, and there is
now some disposition to favor the main
| tenance of rates on wheat and -four on q
parity. If the railroads will do this, dc
not hesitate to say that we shall ul'
timately get back our foreign business
and the figures will be reversed, the
wheat exports will : be lessened and We
shall send more -four abroad. We have
reason to hope that the railroads are al
last beginning to see this matter in the
proper light and that they will give the
| millers an even chance from now on
Should they continue discriminating ir
| favor Of wheat the outlook would indeed
begdark for the milling industry.