The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-10-28
THE GRAIN MOVEMENT

THE GRAIN MOVEMENT
We have heard SO much Of shortage
Of cars and lack of sufficient railroad
equipment to handle the tonnage OF
the country, and have grown SO used to |
looking upon the situation as represent
ing the inability Of the railroad man
agement to measure up to requirement,
that it is refreshing to- fndsEa com
mentator looking thru the other end OF
the glass and viewing itSnot as Scar
shortage SO much as an overprodu
tion Of freight
There is little doubt that the country
is making tonnage faster than the
roads can keep up, notwithstanding the
great additions to rolling stock and
motive power made within the past
few years. Complaint Of inability.
promptly to move merchandise from
place to place is heard generally and
indeed it is surprising that more SER
ious trouble has not already been ex-
perienced.
The northwest, like every other part
Of the country, feels this, only here the
situation reflects The checking Of bust
ness at it's source, the stopping Of the
outflow at country points. For illus
tration, there are the crops, the size
Of which men disagree over, but which
in all grains were certainly large
enough to have started a heavy move
ment into terminal markets long be-
fore this. Indeed, the, matter. does
not hinge upon the size of the crops for.
be the production larger than ), the
average OF somewhat below, the first
movement to market is usually heavy.
To judge by the receipts Of grain at
Minneapolis one might suppose that
there was a great shortage and that
the country had fallen behind in it's
production of new wealth, for from
Sept. l. to- date, compared with the
corresponding time last year, some
5000 cars less of wheat have been re-
ceived here, and nearly $4,000 cars less
Of grain of all kinds - s1:t...
Instead, however,, Of a great short.
age in production this lighter move
ment represents the better management
. Of the roads,, anticipation of trouble
on their part and determination to
profit by the experience of the past
several years. There is little to show
that the northwest railroad manage
ment has seriously concerned itself
with the problem of getting new crops
to market in greater volume. Why
should theHroads, at time when The
interior is concerned with laying in it's
winter supplies of coal and other
commodities and the farther west + is
! working hard to move cut it's fall live
i stock, make special efforts to carry the
grain to market when the grain, ton
mage is there, can neither perish or
run away, and pressure of other bust
ness is calling for all available equip
ment. IL r. 49,. T..
I The effect is not Wholly beneficial
and not entirely satisfactory. Export
trade is handicapped hy inability I'd
secure grain from the interior and men
scarcely dare contract ahead for fear
Of being caught short by failure Of the
roads to make delivery at specified
times. Locally the effect is felt, cash
grain men are doing less business than
usual at this season, men who buy in
Minneapolis for shipment to eastern
consumers find it hard to get cars
to load out their purchases and the
millers, with little wheat in sight here,
little coming in, and that commanding
a light premium over the option, are
unable to push sales of -four very sue.
cessfully and are operating their plants
at rate away below what they should
show for October. -" ''s
Naturally there is much complaint,
the country grain dealer, or farmer who
ships direct and who has to wait fol
cars and then perhaps may see them
stand on sidetrack for days waiting
packing up, being loudest in protest
Yet it is clear that a, great rush of
grain to market at this time, with the
roads already. so congested in and
about Buffalo that great difficulty is
experienced in getting grain out. TO,
4 New York clearance, and conditions
Tightening up around Pittsburg and
Chicago and working west, could only
aggravate the situation. It is true
that 30,OO0,000 bushels could be taken
by Minneapolis storage and put out OF
the way temporarily, but the roads ter
minating here and serving the grain
country north and west evidently neec
their equipment as badly as any east
ern lines.
If the result of this policy shall b.
to distribute the crop more evenly over
the entire year it will have served {
good purpose. One Of the bad fea
lures of the business has been the rush
ing to market, at the beginning Of tn,
season, millions upon millions Of graf,
in order quickly to get returns anc
have the cash. Often this has re
suited in losses direct, as for instance
a. general lowering Of the price level
. which may be avoided this year by tn,
distribution of the work of marketin,
!. more evenly, over a longer period 8
!, time.
THE MONETARY SITUATION
The salient feature of the situation