The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-08-25
The Export Wheat Rate.

che recent action Of the railroads in. adj
vancing grain rates cat and east of
Buffalo, may be found in all the com
mercial papers Of New York. The
move is referred to as unenightened
and unprogressive, as prompted by rail
road greed on the theory that large
grain tonnage will move for export this
season, and the rates may as we'll be
high, as inexplieable on any sound
commercial ground, and finally as
greatly inimical to the export interests
of the city Of New York. This last we
believe is the main point in the eastern
view Of the matter.
This question of grain rates to New
York is one, of the most important of
the day in the great problem of main
tainance Of an equitable attitude on the
part Of the roads towards all the inter-
ests concerned. New York does big
business in the export of grain, but for
number Of years she has been falling
to the rear, while other Atlantic ports
as Baltimore and Newport News, have
grown wonderfully, and the gulf ports
have also moved up. New York is in
terested in maintaining her export
trade and recovering her position Of
prcdominance. She views the question
only from her own standpoint.
In the northwest the matter takes
on a different color. We make mill
ions of barrels of flour every year, and
( in order that the great milling indus
b try may hold it's own it is absolutely
necessary that the mills be able to sell
their product abroad. They cannot do
I this while the railroads make rates for
/ wheat for export relatively lower than
! for flour. This they have done. It is
matter Of recent memory when the
mills Of Minneapolis were compelled to
close because tho roads were taking
wheat for export so low that no miller
could ship out his flour in competition.
! The millers of England were enabled, at
:! one time, to buy wheat in America,
take it across to London, make it into
flour there, and send it back to America
in competition with flour made on this
side. OF course the chance for an
American miller who hoped to sell his
product in the London market was en-
tirely hopeless.
A protest from the northwest that
was loud and long resulted in rail
road conference in New York at which
the discriminatory rates were Cancelled
Conditions since then have not enabled
the northwest mills to do much export
business, but there is favorable out
J look now for the recovery of lost
trade, as wheat is more abundant. The
raising Of the wheat-rate question by
New York at this time is important.
One can readily understand that New
= York wishes to retain her export trade
In wheat, but her attitude is grossly
selfish. Given an outward movement
of wheat thru her gateway, she cares
little sabout conditions in the interior
Her position in the past has been eco
nomically unsound. When there is ar
exportable surplus, wheat will be ex
ported in any case, and it is not 8
matter Of vital Importance to the Amer
lean people whether it moves out thru
New York or thru some other port
but it is. of vital Importance to the
northwest and to the entire population
of the country that such parity Of the
rates be maintained between wheat anC
-four as will enable the millers of the
s interior, with millions Of dollars in
vested and thousands Of men employed
to do an export business. No miller
objects to the rates on -four or ask.
for reduction. The plea is only tina,
wheat rates be not cut so that tn,
wheat will move away from the Ameri
can miller to the benefit of his com
petitor in Europe.
Aside from. the argument of fairness
to a great American industry, which
has never received Or asked for favors
the economic business is all ON tn
millers' side. A country does not grow
by raising agricultural produce an
sending it. out in the raw state I
grows by sending out the finished prod
uct and conserving for itself the bene
fits of active industry and well-em
ployed labor. s