The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-11-27
Railways and the Export and Do
t.r, nestle Markets. ,... ,

The railroads leading from Pitts
burg to the Atlantic ports have re-
duced rates on export steel one-third,
( and may reduce them still further.
The object is to keep the steel mills
d running by invading foreign markets.
I The steel trust has thrown its agents
4 into all parts Of Europe to get orders
on a price list much below anything
quoted in the United States, and the
q railroads come to Its help with low
export rates. These roads are certain
sly loyal to the great tonnage pro-
p Queer of their district. They see that
/. their welfare and that of the steel
Industry are identical, and when the
steel companies plan campaign that
promises to increase or keep up ton
mage the roads cooperate with them
q Almost coincident with the lower
Ing of the rates on export steel
comes the announcement that the
freight charges on flour are to be
raised 2 cents a hundred. Why should
the steel carrying roads lower the
charge for steel while the flour carry
ing roads raise the price for carrying
cation closes about Dec. Fl, and it
has always been the custom to raise
the rates on flour and wheat with the
closing of navigation. But raising
rates, especially when the rate on
the finished product and the raw ma
terial are increased by the same mar
gin, does rot help the miller.
5o
pay as much attention to encouraging
i the expectation of flour and the rum
ming of the mills full time as others do
to the welfare of the steel mills? You
/. don't catch the steel carrying roads
making rates that encourage the ex-
portation Of iron ore instead of iron
and steel. The answer probably is
& that none Of the railway magnates
who have the power to say the final
word in these matters is so closely
associated with the flour milling in
tsterest as the magnates Of the steel
carrying roads with the steel interest.
+ If J. J. Hill controlled a trunk
4 line from Minneapolis to the Atlantic
!. coast and his interests lay in that di-
: i
millers would probably not have to
K wait long before getting a rate that
would make it as advantageous to
convert export wheat into flour as to
shl,, 1t unmilled. Mr.. Hills interests
are chiefly In the west and there he is
to-day making rate that is greatly
helping our northwestern millers
THE Journal s local columns last
night announced that the exports OF
I Minneapolis flour to Japan are ex-
panding enormously. If 1t were not
for friendly railway interest Mime
apolis could not sell a barrel Of flour
+ In Japan.
If Mr.. Hill fully realizes his plans
for the development Of the Asian
trade there may come day when the
unfriendliness of the eastern trunk
lines will no longer concern the north
I west. But in the meantime the rail-
roads have 1t in their power tc
stimulate greatly the milling industry
of this country by encouraging the ex.
portation of flour 1t is automatic
Z that the more finished the article OF
export the more profitable the trans.
action is to the exporting nation. A
I'll there is more work and capital repre-.
ssnted in a finished product, SO there
Is more benefit from it's expectation
than from that of a simpler article
HI Germane to this subject of expor
rates Is the question of domestic rate.
and prices. Why must the people Of
this country be forever called upon t