The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-19
SHIPS FLOUR
TO ADELAIDE
Minneapolis Milling Firm Enters an
Order From Farthest Port
of Australia.
Southern Continent, in Pressing
Need of Bread tufts, Makes
Big Purchases Here.
New Demand Will Mean Much for
the Local Milling Trade
This Spring.

Minneapolis milling firm put an or
der on it's books this morning for a round
lot of flour to so to Adelaide Australia.
The flour will go west over the Great
Northern or Northern Pacific to Puget
sound, and thence by freighting steamer
direct to destination.
Adelaide is the farthest distant of the
Australian ports. and is on the southern
coast of the continent. This is the first
time that Minneapolis merchandise has
been billed direct to that port in any
Quantity. The Minneapolis mills have
Gone business in small way at widely
scattered intervals with Brisbane. Mel
bourne and Sydney, the larger cities of
Australia. But within few weeks there
I has been opened up with Australia q
trade that in volume exceeds all the
business ever done in the years preced
ing. Within fortnight orders have been
entered from Australia aggregating close
to 100000 barrels. s- .0.
Some days ago the PillSbury- Washburn
= company reported the sale of u lot of
flour to Australian firms. This was of
great interest at the time and the cause
of much comment in milling circles the
country over yet in itself it had rela-,
lively little Importance since the guam
tity sold was not large considering the
enormous daily output here. In any
great trade of world wide extent, such
as that commanded by the Minneapolis
milling industry. occasional orders often
turn up unexpectedly from remote quar-.
terS. The question was whether this
demand from half way round the world
vas merely the spasmodic buying that
bad been experienced before, or the fore
runner of heavy demand to come.
Australians Demand Pressing.
This morning settled 4hc question.
There has been much talk about Aus
tralia being bare of breadstufts since tho.
short harvest Of Ias lint 10.
now no longer q doubt that her demands
are large and pressing. The millers" are
aVerSe to discussing the matter of the
disposition of their output, but it is known
that within a few days every large local
milling firm has entered. or has had
opportunity to enter orders from Aus
tralia. There is a large consumptive de-
mand to be met. Melbourne and Sydney
combined have a population of 100000.
and there arc a number of other centers
Of heavy consumption.
Australia raises wheat and has flour
mills. and in good year produces enough
for her own people. When she falls
short she draws. upon the Pacific coast
for wheat to grind in her mills or Ibuxs
-four ground in Pacific coast mills
This year she has drawn upon the Pa
clflc coast for. wheat and -four. and hav-
ing stripped the coast line has extended
her inquiry farther and farther inland.
mills is the latest Development
With wheat in San Francisco now rang
ing III price from S1.45 to $1.50 a bushel
and sales in San Francisco to-day at
S141R. it is possible for MINNEAPOLIS
mills to get the Australian flour business
Notwithstanding the handicap of the long
haul to the coast
But the Minneapolis millers have no
clnch on the trade and have to compete
TOT 1t. M1llers and grain men in the
Canadian northwest have seen the on
portunity and have not been slow to act.
The Ogivie Milling company. large
Canadian corporation has entered con
siderable Australian business
This new demand means much for the
northwest. 1t means much for the milling
business this spring. If the Australian
buyers are coming far as MinneaD polls
1t is evident that the mills which have
the advantages Of locations on the coast
are unable to care for the demand that is
theirs under normal conditions. It is the
opinion that the country west of the Rocky
mountains is more bare of wheat than il,
years. Hence the flour trade lying be-
tween the twin cities and the coast will
fall to the Minneapolis mills without any
competition from coast mills, while the
Minneapolis millers are this season en-
abled to go right into the foreign field of
rhe coast mills and beat them out.
Question of Wheat Supply.
The only question atall disturbing is the
matter of the wheat supply for the oca
mills. The 15.146,9SS bushels now in Min
neapolis elevators looks pretty big, but
there was much at this time last veal
and yet before the new wheat came in the
mills had ground it all, and cash wheat
was a a phenomenal premium.
This year, with the wider territory t..
supply, the outlook is for spring and sum
n1er grinding at a rate ever heavier than
last year. In the twenty-one principal re-
serve ccnters, which include Minneapolis
Fort Williams and Port Arthur, there are
600 bushels. This is 6,43S 900 bush
els less than the supply in sight in the
same centers last year. The invisible sup
ply, meaning the surplus quantity still
In the hands Of farmers, is generally be-
neved to be less than last year.
The whole situation. the 1uilers say, but
serves to illustrate again the fact thai
satisfactory conditions of raw nlateria
supply can no longer be maintained at g
uniform rate from year to year, witt
the present limited territory to draw from
and that Minneapolis must have free ac-
cess to the Canadian wheat supply if she
is to continue to command the world in
the flour trade.