The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1903-04-24
SPRING A GREAT SURPRISE
CONDITION WHOLLY UNPREcE.
DENTED in HISTORY OF
MILL CITY.
DUE TO UNJUST FREIGHT RATES
MiLLERS HAVE BEEN LOSING
MONEY FOR SEVERAL
MONTHS.

MluuoapOllS, April 10. - Inc great
-four mills of Minneapolis, with daily
producing capacity Of something over
$4,000 barrels, have been closed down
during the past, twelve hours. The
milling platform, the scene of the
greatest flour producing operations in
the world, was still as a graveyard at
midnight. This condition, which is
wholly unprecedented in the history
Of the local flour industry of Mime
apolis, comes as great and necessar-
lily unpleasant surprise. The millers
have got together as one man in this
matter. Their intentions have been
kept profoundly secret, and practical
ly no one outside the circle of mill
owners was aware of the sensational
move which was decided upon only
few days ago. The water was turned
out of the canal some time last night,
and this meant an abandonment of all
effort in the way of flourmaking. This
action
Marks the Beginning
of very heroic effort on the part OF
the millers to bring about a change in
the conditions so far as freight rates
are concerned. Several months ago
the millers, or at least a majority of
them, made vigorous protest against
what they described as unfair and un-
reasonable and very harmful discrim-
ination in the matter of freight rates
by the railroad companies. The trans
portation committee of the chamber
Of commerce took the matter up, and
at the suggestion Of the leading mill
'ers of the city invited the railroads
Immediately concerned to send rep
resentatives to a conference in Min
neapOlis. The railroad companies
readily responded and couple of con-
ferences was the result. And these
conferences were the only result. The
millers had their say, and the rail-
road representatives listened with
very much respect; but
Promised Nothing.
However, the millers were inclined
to think that some relief would come,
so there was period of quiet. The
millers have waited so long for the
railroad companies to do something
that at recent meeting of practically
every mill owner in Minneapolis it
was decided that there was no longer
any virtue in being patient. 1t was
then decided to resort to the very
heroic measures which were sprung
In sensational way yesterday. The
millers, according to the statements
made by several of the more promi-
ont NJ
evening, have been losing money for
many months past, mainly because
the railroads have given rates on the
raw material which has made it prac-
tically impossible for the millers to
get sufficient wheat to operate their
mills. The
Closing Down Of the Mills.
would doubtless have come much
sooner had the millers been able to
agree on a plan for resisting a con-
tinuance of condition of things SO
far as freight rates are concerned
which they deem unfair, and which
they say are inimical to the best in
terests Of Minneapolis in particular
and the Northwest in general.
The shutdown directly affects
something over 1000 men, and indi-
rectly practically affects the entire
city.
Many of the large mills throughout
the state and the Northwest have
been as seriously concerned in the
problem as have the local millers, and
a general shutdown of all the mills in
the Northwest is looked for, to bring
the transportation companies to a
realization of the situation.