The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-01
Killers N PLGHTI
American Railroads and Eng
IiSh Tariff Hurt Them.
IT'S A TRUST OR "BUST"
Must Take Extreme Measures
to Protect Themselves.

Topeka, April So-The -four milling in
dustry Of the country is facing a crisis.
so Kansas miuers say. and something
must be done. and done quickly, to avert
disaster Three avenues remain open: A
wiping out Of the dinerendaI between
wheat and flour By the railroads.. the
establishment Of reciprocal trade relations
with foreign countries and the formation
Of a milIers' trust. Either of the first two
remedies would enable the miIers 10 get
rid Of their surplus product in European
markets at small profit. The other-the
formation of q trust-would possibly mean
an advancement in the price of -four at
| home. This is something, the millers
| say that they DO not want to do, but, if
the other concessions are not granted,
then, for self-preservation. they will be
forced to combine As they put it. they
must hang together or they viii hang
separately. With them it is either to
form a trust or to bust. If they combine
they may reap profits, but it viii be at
the expense of the American consumers.
The straw to break the camel's back
was the recent imposition OF a duty on
-four by the English government. That
duty represents more than the profits
which the millers have been making on
their -four products sent TO England. It
is for this reason that some way must be
found by the millers of this country to get
rid Of their surplus -four. While trusts
have been formed in almost every manu-
featuring lire in recent years. no effort
has been made to get the millers of the
entire country into one combination, for
the reason that there are SO many mills
and so many people to deal with that it
has been regarded in the past as an al
most impossible undertaking. But with
the danger that now confronts the mil
lers the stupendous scheme OF forming a
trust is about TO be attempted.
'The conditions as set forth by the
Kansas Mnlers' Association in its letter
20 Senator w A. Harris are a fair eX-
position Of the facts concerning the -four
industry" said a Topeka miller today 1T
is somewhat remarkable that the public
press has not devoted more space to call
ing attention to the present dark outlook
of the -four buiness 1t is one of the most
gigantic businesses of the country. More
than is invested in the steel or iron bus
mess Its life is in peril. Yet nothing is
said about it, The Northwestern Miller
voices the sentiment of the miilers when
it says of the milling industry: This IS
one Of the few American industries which
has not adopted to relieve the situation,
q milling trust is inevitable and the fine
independence of individual effort charac-
teristic of the trade viii be forever lost |
This would be a calamity not alone to the |
mnlers. hut to the American people. With |
their bread supply in control of a trust |
able 10 advance the price of flour, the |
consumers of the country would lose the !
ADVANTAGE they now possess of cheap |
food and the American milling industry |
would cease to he competitive.
ENGLAND did not put as heavy a duty /
on wheat as en- -four. The difference is /
cents per hundredweight. This gives the |
English miller an advantage of 81 cents |
a barrel. over the American miller in the |
grinding of American wheat. not includ- |
ing the dincrentlal discrimination in favor |
of wheat by the American railroads. Nine |
cents a barrel to a lavman does not seem /
much. but it makes n big difference to a /
miller TO such a fine point Of profit /
has American milling come that diff 7
ference of cents barrel is OF the utmost /
consequence. England has always been 1
heavy purchaser of our surplus four. So /
you see if we lose that market we viii !
be in hard lines and the declaration that
many mlners viii be driven out Of bust I
ness Is not an idle dream
The mnIers have organized a federation, /
but it is in no sense trust It does not
seek to fix prices. It simply seeks to find /
a market for the surplus manufactured. I
Ocean lines frequently make a discrimin-
alton in favor Of wheat but not always. /
A steamer must have ballast of some /
kind If there is no frenght on the wharf
suitable for ballast wheat is purchased.
If there Is no wheat or anything else ham
dy. then common stone or dirt IS used.
Rut usually wheat can be found in some
of the elevators ut the seaboard and it is +
taken across the ocean at very low rate. /
Tho AHllers Federation proposes to es-
tablish -four depots at various ports along /
the seahoard and keep a supply Of -four
on hand % be used as ballast Agents
will be appointed 10 keep close tab on
loading steamers and when they lack bal
last he is 90 offer them -four In this way
the ocea0 rate on Hour VII be Kept down
ais low as that on wheat.
g. j. Rothwen. one Of the largest mil
lers En- the United States has written
letter u the presidents II the thirty lead
ing railroads of the country setting forth
the migers proposition.
"Thc export flour business has fer
Ions time either been profdess OF has in
volvcd a loss The carrying by the rail-
roads of vheat cheaper than -four has
wen rieh DESTROYED thc hoUr export trade.
The ac,ion al she British government is
likely 81 prove The last straw. The Amer
lean ra.lc~ cannot possibly comrs re II he
is subjected 20 the discrimination Of re-
cert years The railroads ROW have an
opUortrnltv g. step Ia aud save THE MILL
ms Industry earn the permanent gratitude
OF thc American milcrs and. incidentally. !
promote their OWE ultimate weifare. Make
Cat r2t5 for hc1h wh-aJ and fou- and
p1rmit u1 deviation The pcrnetuati0r
ard prosperity ~ Americal milling means
nUeh 70 ,he railroads :n the way ~ coll
lateral revenue This more than Offsets
the possibly slgh,iy greater cost q
- uas.,, RsSo~,a-