The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-10-04
DANGER TO MILLING A MERGER FIGHTER
Minneapolis Great Industry May
Suffer as Result of Recent
Strike Agitation.
The Commercial West Points Out the
Result Should the Men Abuse
Their New Power.

With the exception of a strike of the
packers and nailers in the mills of one
of the large companies in the fall Of 1893.
says the Commercial West, the milling
history of Minneapolis is sngularly free
from labor troubles. This is undoubtedly
largely due to the liberal and thoughtful
treatment accorded the employees Good
wages have always been paid-better than
in any other part Of the country; and the
mill owners have been particularly con-
sderate Of old employees. During dull and
profitless years to the companies, the men
have been taken care of, and they never
knew, as they drew their pay regularly,
that the mill managers were sweating
blood in a struggle with adverse condl-
tons, to make some sort Of showing for
the stockholders.
AS the great milling center has grown.
this sentiment has increased, and with
it the loyalty of the men. AS the i'm
pOrtance of the companies has become
greater and greater, until their reputation
is world wide, they have not grown soul
less. The milling history of Minneapolis
might serve as a model for other COM
mercial industries to try to live up to.
In a large measure there has been the
sympathy between employer and employe
that is found in small businesses, where
a personal acquaintance exists.
The threatened strike Of the mill opera
tives last week, which was avoided Dy a
compromise and an account Of which ap-
pears in another column. brings new
+ element in to milling in Minneapolis, the
"Interna tional Mill Operatives Union,
I which will seek to affiliate with the Amer
! lean Federation Of Labor.
Not understanding, with all the talk OF
! prosperity throughout the country, that
the milling business has not f1ourlshed
proportionately, and that flour 7maklng IS
! ,I~ or.ofr.
position to grasp this, the operatives In
the mills unless controlled and guided by
| the old and conservative men, may make
trouble with their new-found strength.
They see constant changes and i'm
| provements all about them; each year the
! mills turn out greater amount OF Hour,
! and a great industry is apparently grow
ing greater while they draw only the same
amount Of wages this week that they drew
! year ago. and can expect to get next
| year. They cannot know that milling Is
| done on such a close margin that anything
| that would change the relative cost OF
! flour cents a barrel either way would
| be regarded as a factor Of sufficient i'm
portance to start up additional capacity
or close down all the mills. With one
| large concession granted them, the meT
should not think it easy to get more.
! The next demand may be that only
union men be employed in the mills. I'm
Minneapolis has been built up until II
| can turn out 1900 barrels Of -four daily
| for six days in week, or 1884, 900 barrels
as a full weeks run. Has Minneapolis
| reached its limit? is a question that one
may we'll ask at this time.
A full weeks output is 1884, 900 barrels
or g. 900 barrels a day. Three times dur
ing the fall of 1901 the weeks production
was considerably above this amount
For the week ending Oct. 10, 1901, the out.
put was 401,59O barrels-the record.
Notwithstanding these heavy runs, the
actual average daily capacity of the Min
neapois mills may be placed at $4,000
barrels. Under favorable conditions
wheat, weather, power, etc-the indi
vidual mills could be; crowded to theil
maximum capacity. With one or two ex
ceptions they have produced the amount
credited to them in the foregoing table
But conditions would necessari ly have tc
be marvelously favorable to permit
twenty-five mills to turn out a maximum
output for six days in succession. The
performance would be SO marvellous tina
| it has never been done.
| It IS an easy matter to Increase the ca
pacity Of mills already built. The expens,
| is small, and no more labor may be re
Quired Many of the Minneapolis mills
now turn out twice the amount of flour
without any enlargement of the buildings
| themselves, they were originally intended
for Some of them have reached the .-....
increase. for the buildings will stand NJ
more. But is there any inducement t.
increase the milling capacity of Mime
apolis? Wages are higher here than any
where else in the country. The new
union hopes to equalize that. In som
Of the larger centers it may succeed Il
the small towns, where there is singl
MILL it is very doubtful whether the unto
will have any influence. In the sma
towns there will be little fear of labo
troubles. In Minneapolis, as alread
pointed out, the milling companies mus
count these possibilities as among tn
hazards of milling. Under the circum
stances. 1t seems likely therefore. tina
after any present plans are carried on
should an increase in capacity be desjr
able, some other locati would be sougt
for the new mills.