The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-31
MORE MILLS TO
CLOSE TONIGHT
Car Shortage Threatens to
Cripple FIGURING In
dustry.

Most of the Minneapolis mills will
close down tonight probably. The
Pillsbury- Washburn company, the
Consolidated company announce
their intention of running so
long as they can get cars to
load in, despite the fact that-it is i'm.
possible to get through Chicago. Millers
take the view that freight already on
the cars will be first delivered when re-.
lief does come and that it is well to
secure even that advantage.
Railway companies operating to Chi
cago are able to furnish cars as re-
quired here, but they refuse to plunge
any more of their rolling stock into the
maelstrcm of the blockade. They find
it more profitable to handle their local
business and wait for the situation to
clear. This means that the mills will
have no alternative but to close down.
There is nothing to be gained by pill
ing -four on the mill floors nor is this
likely to be done.
Yesterday the Pillsbury- Washburn
company loaded and sent out $50 cars
over the different lines. Other milling
concerns also made considerable ship
ments, but it is recognized that such
movement of trains against the glut of
traffic in Chicago is merely adding to
the impossibility of the existing condi-
ton.
Western roads could move a much
larger percentage of traffic than they
are now handling, if they had any
Eastern connections to turn the cars
over to. The same state of affairs ex-
lists in the South as in the East. Rail-
ways from Kansas City and st. Louis
to the gulf ports are unable to accept
anything from their connections, but
live freight"
E. N. Fairbanks, assistant manager
of the Pillsbury- Washburn company,
said yesterday morning that it was i'm
possible to say whether or not the mills
would have to be closed, but he admit
ted that they would have to do so al
most Immediately If relief could not
be obtained. Mr.. Fairbanks thought
that some of the roads might bring in
a lot of empties today, but 1t Is diff
cult to see how this would help mat
tiers in view of the determination of
the railway companies not to buck Chi
cago's solid center any longer.
The officers Of the Consolidated Mill
ing company admitted that the mills
Of that company would most likely
close tomorrow night, and Mr.. Bovey,
speaking for the Washburn- Crosby
company, said that while the mills of
that concern would run as long as pos
sible general shut down appeared in
evitable. Mr.. Bovey would not name
a date when the mills would close, and
is apparently hoping that some unex-
pected element may develop to relieve
the strain.
The milIers are exhausting every re-
source in their efforts to avoid closing.
1t is an anomalous situation that 5000
men must be thrown into idleness and
the business of the companies cut off
in the very middle OF a season when
orders are rushing from all over the
East and abroad. Business with the
miflers was never better than now so
far as orders are concerned.
E. E. Pennington, general manager
of the Minneapolis, st. Paul & Sault
Ste. Marie. in discussing the possibility
of relief from the blockade, said this
morning that no really effective relief
could De anticipated until navigation
opened, when large quantities of