The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-16
/. c. c. FACES BIG !.
NEW PROBLEM
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live and be part of every considera-
tion financial or political that in the
hereafter grasps at the railroad prob
lem In, the larger way. r. B."
How the Blockade Began.
Back in September, when the first of
the new crop Of grain began to move to
market, it was noticed that receipts at
every day than they were year ago.
No one thought much about it.
After short time the total of grain
hauled into Minneapolis was 100000
bushels under the movement of the year
previous, which seemed rather strange
in view of the fact that, while opinion
differed as to the size of the crops
there was no doubt that there had been
a fair total production of grain of all
kinds. 1t was supposed that the move.
ment would come along all right later.
But the roads did no better and soon
the deficiency in Minneapolis receipts,
by comparison with the previous year,
was 100000 bushels. ~ r. : :
1t was noticed that the difference
was not only in wheat, but in oats,
barley, rye and flax. This rather over
turned the suspicion that there had
been deficiency in production. The sea-
| son had been favorable on the whole
and no general crop failure had been
wonder, if there really had been a light
production. The fact that the shortage
in receipts embraced all the grains
made it clear that the receipts were
! not to be taken as a measure of the
crop, for if that was the case then
there would necessarily be shortages in
all grains. 1t was remembered also that
| in a recent year when the wheat crop
was very small, receipts here were
ment to market had any relation to
the production of the crop was dis
carded. Whatever might be conditions
in some particular localities there was
no doubt that there was an enormous
grain tonnage on the whole, in the
country, and since the railroads are in
the business of transporting grain and
the tonnage was there waiting for
them it was a. natural question why
they did not bring it in. -.... -.
Some Of the big grain firms here took
up the matter with the general officers
Of the roads and letters came back ex-
planning that the roads did not have
the equipment and were doing the best
they could. -'
Meanwhile the receipts had were no
larger and the shortage soon amounted
to 10,O00,000 bushels. &c.. =.
/ From time to time murmur would
| be heard from the country. Some ship
per who had ben unable to get cars
for perhaps month or six weeks, and
who found the ordinary channels of
in complaint. Nothing followed these
/ complaints except reiterated statements
that the railroads were doing as well
as they could. =. !.
| The shortage in Minneapolis re-
ceipts increased to 100000 bushels.
! The Minneapolis grain firms brought
increased pressure to bear upon the
roads to help them get grain in transit
and loosen up the money tied up and
get business back into normal chan
nels.
The railroads said they were doing
all they could. II
| A louder murmur went up from the
country. A man with grain to ship
wrote in that his station elevators had
only one car in several weeks. This
started inquiry as to conditions at prin-
cipal shipping stations, but, in the be-
lief that the situation had reached the
worst possible stage and in expecta-
ton Of some relief before long, bust
ness interests generally waited and did
little. =. q .7<-..D-. BE-. r. 5
Then Everybody Sat Up.
One day some time later the secre-
tary of the Minneapolis Chamber Of
Commerce issued statement that at
tracted the attention of the commercial
world to Minneapolis He showed that
there had been a great falling off i'm
the receipts Of grain Of all kinds; that
in wheat alone there was a shortage
of nearly 100000 bushels and that
in grain receipts of all kinds the short
age was in round figures 23,00O,OO0
bushels. The situation from the Mime
apolis end had become sensational.
come unbearable
Receipts at Duluth were proportions
ately as light as at Minneapolis.
A man living in New Rockford,
where there were five elevators filed
to the roofs with grain, sent in pic
ture of bin Of wheat outside on the
open ground, some seventytwo feet
wide, over hundred feet long, twenty
four feet deep at one point. and con
tanning 10000 bushels of wheat. The
town was blocked. Ordinary business
channels were obstructed The shipper
could get no relief from the railroads
and it was bad situation.
y b e j ourn a !, which had chron-
icled the development Of the shortage
as it progressed, decided it. was about
other end and a staff correspondent
went up the country, filed with knowl-
ledge of the natural tendency Of people
to exaggerate and expecting to find
that conditions had been overstated
He went to Fargo and found the