The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-04-20
MILLS AGAIN
MAKING FLOUR.
Railroads Promise Help in Adjust
ing Rates on a Fair
Basis.
Some Of the Mills Are Already
Grinding-More Will Start
Tonight.
The Shut. Down Was a Good Thing
in More Ways Than
One.


of activity will soon be heard again in
the great local industry. No positive
statements as to concessions have been
made by, the roads. Millers do not know
just what they will get. But from
source high enough UP to carry the stamp
OF authority they have the assurance that
concessions will be made and on this are
willing to resume operations. There is
a meeting of railroad men billed for to-day
In st. Paul and from this may come an
exact statement Of what the roads are
willing to econcede. =,
Two of the smaller mills are in operation
now, and the milsl of the larger COM
panies Will start up later. Neither the
Washburn- Crosby, the Pillsbury- Wash
burn nor the consolidated Milling COM
panies have any mills in operation at this
time but three Of the Washburn- Crosby
mills will start tonight. BY tomorrow,
morning it is. probable that of the TWEEN
ty-two mills in the city twelve will be In
operation. or these mills, four will be
the smaller individual properties: the
Phoenix, Cataract, Dakota and G. c.
Christian mills, SO that while the num-
Der of mills grinding may be over halt
the total number, the output will be In
creased to only about one-third OF normal.
There was split in the ranks Of the
millers late on Saturday The smaller
mills while in the same position as the
idTScrr companies, naQ 1OuIlu Tie Sill
uation pressing them quite so hard. With
the advance in flour prices and some UNI
filled contracts on hand they decided that
it would be possible to grind at some
profit. and would have started up their
plants then but Tor loyalty to the others :
80. Great Western influence.
It is intimated in milling circles that the
Chicago Great Western road led the fight
In a conference Of railroad men and that
fear that this road might break loose and
make some kind of an independent play
for the bulk Of the business prompted the
other roads to insist upon uniformity OF
action looking towards concession. :
A positive loss of business and the
chance of greater loss in the future
operated to influence the railroads. 1t is
a poor day when Minneapolis does moi
ship out 10000 barrels OF flour, FIRE.
nuently the daily shipments rim to 80,
900 barrels, and TOT, 800 barrels has beer
shipped In. one day during a rush. Or
Friday Minneapolis shipped ss,S2s bas-
fels; on Saturday, $3.50 barrels; Sunday
and to- day, 1926 barrels and In another
| day there would be nothing moving. It Is
this that hits the railroads. The f1oul
traffic is permanent thing, and too goo6
not to be cultivated.
Good From the Shut Down.
| The shut down cannot fail to be Of
great benefit to the. industry as it has
been the means of bringing the railroad:
| to a realization Of the wisdom of stand.
| ing by a big manufacturing interest. L
| has also brought the mills into closer
| touch with one another and has demon
| strated that while they compete for bust
ness they can get together upon a con
certed move and stand together to tn,
finish on anything affecting their mutua
Interests 1.t7 = =
Plan Still to BE Defined.
eve have received assurances from tn,
i roads that. they are disposed to help u
OUT said. James s. Bell of the Wash
burn Crosby company, land upon the full
fillment Of their promises will depend tn
permanence .iof operation. It. is not be
cause Of such assurances alone that W
will resume grinding. We closed dow
very suddenly. At that time we had Of
hand some untitled contracts, and l1avin
! figured up just where we Stood we woul
/ have been obliged to open up long enoug
4 to clean up this business whether tn
railroads had yeered around to our poin
of view, or not. And this Is really VIII
we are starting up again to clean up thi
1 old business. Meanwhile, however; 4 ar
happy to say the railroads have given u
assurances of an encouraging nature
| They have, not as yet committed them
selves to exact statements as to wha
they will do but we feel sure Of their sin
cerity and are confident of fair treatment
So we will begin operating our plant
and feel that they will run permanently
but Of course ecerything will depend upo
what our rates are to be-"