The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-09-27
OTHER PEOPLES NOTIONS
To the Editor of The Journal. --
-.r Some Flour Maxine FIGURES,

To the Editor of The Journal
Some Flour Making Figures.
In thursdays j ournal there ap-
peared All editorial which is so manifestly
unfair and inaccurate that it requires
more than a passing notice, especially at
this time when the subject is one that Is
engaging public attention locally. >,
Referring to the proposed change from
twelve to eight hours a day, which has
been asked for by the flour mill EMPLOY
ers here, the article goes on to show the
small profits connected with the milling
business and quotes figures from the GEN.
sus reports in proof of it's position.
1t says, 1.-THE wheat that goes into bar
rel Of Minnesota flour averages $2-923
worth in the, census year and. the flour
was worth only 1918. That leaves 26.5
cents barrel for wages, salaries, interest
on capital, expenses Of manufacture and
management, repairs, depreciation Of
plant, ETC."
Now this statement would have the pub
lie believe that this represents the full
amount out of which is paid the total
cost Of management and production.
Those, who have any acquaintance, what
ever with the business know that "offals''
figure an important part, but the writer Of
this article, for some reason or another
has seen fit to leave this out OF the reck-
Oning. &
Now the amount Of "offal" made In pro-
ducing a barrel Of -four figured at the
prices quoted on the market page Of
Thursdays o u r n ], comes to SO cents.
This makes a margin Of 59.5 instead Of
25.5 as quoted; or -$2,975 instead of $1.275
day in mill Of 5000 barrels capacity.
Referring again to the article in ques-
ton it says:
THE Minneapolis millers can not well
increase their pay rolls 100000 a year"
This Is only about half a million dollars
more than the figures already quoted by
the Minneapolis nnillers-
Before closing let me call attention to a
paragraph taken from an article almost
side by side with the article which has
just been referred to above: 1t can be
found under the heading minnesota the
| land Of the Big Flour Mills
"The introduction of new machinery
during the last decade actually caused
a reduction of the number Of wage earn
ers in the -four mills from $4,000 to
$4,000. and a decline of half mill
| lion in the wages Improved methods,
as we'll as improved machinery, was
doubtless the cause of very marked de-
crease in the sum total Of miscellaneous
expenses. All of this has taken place in
| spite Of the fact that there were 1000
more mills in 1900 than in 1890" ID.
1t appears from consideration of ths
above that T he Journal did unin-
|
| injustice in two particulars in the para
| graph referred to. In following the census
| figures, which, in the table examined, con-
| tanned no reference to the secondary prod
| ucts Of flour making, the value of those
products was inadvertently left out Of
| consideration. It was also incorrect to
! estimate the payroll increase for an eight
| hour day at $500, 900. The operators think
| it would take $500, 900 and the operatives
put it at $3.50, 000-it not being necessary
to increase the roll by so per cent in order
| to put on third shift of men. Never
| theless. the fact remains that the margin
of profit in the flour business, as inferred
from the census figure giving total value
Of product, cost Of raw material, cost OF
wages, etc., Is very small. Indeed the
men. admit this, but think the operators
could without serious Inconvenience APP
propriate for their employees the one cent
a barrel which would amount to $3.50, 200 on
a total output Of 100000 barrels. The
latter however, take their stand on the
abstractly correct ground that, while they
admit the hours are now too long, they
should not be required to come to an
i eight hour basis until their competitors
are under the same compulsion.-Ed1tor,
Il Journal.