The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-04-01
FfOur-MW and GristMiU Industry

WASHINGTON, D. c., April l.
mill industry of the United States for
the calendar year 1909 are presented
in a bulletin soon to be issued by
Director Durand of the Bureau of the
Census, Department of Commerce. 1t
was prepared under the supervision of
w. NJ Stewart, chief statistician for
manufactures.
The report of this industry distin-
cuisines three classes OF mills: ID
Merchant mills whose chief products
are intended for human consumption
90 merchant mills whose chief
products are those commonly used as
feed for live stock, and 80 mills en-
gagged exclusively in custom grinding.
Mills reporting the purchase of any
part of the grain which they grind are
classified as merchant mills, even
though a large part of their business
may consist in custom grinding. Gus
tom mills, on the other hand, are those
engaged exclusively in custom grind
ing, whether for toll or for a stipulat-
ed charge, including those where grain
exchange for the grain to be ground.
Practically all of the custom mills are
small, and SO also are a considerable
number of the merchant mills.
OF the 1862 mills canvassed for
1909, more than half 11,96D were
custom mills, but of the total value of
products 500, 958-only $55,115,-
$50, or SO per cent, was contributed by
this class of mills. More than three
fourths of the merchant mills were en-
gagged chiefly in the manufacture of
wheat -four and other products intend
ed for human consumption, and the
value of the products of these mills
was sS32,79O,364, or 1877 per cent of
the total for all mills combined
The flour-mill and grist-mill industry
| is one in which the cost of materials
constitutes a very large portion of the
total value of products, the process of
manufacture itself being relatively
simple and inexpensive. The total cost
1909 was 1913, BAT, which was
equal to about seven-eights (S67 per
cent? of the total value of products,
while the value added by manufacture
Chat is, the value of products less the
cost of materials) was only $124,808,.
Gil.
| The flour mills and grist mills of all
classes combined gave employment in
1909 to an average of SS,S49 persons
of whom 46,467 were wage earners
and paid out $35,167,693 in salaries
and wages. The quantity of grain
ground was S72,95O,743 bushels, the
greater part being wheat and corn.
Minnesota Ranks First.
Minnesota is by far the most i'm
portant state in the fiour-mill and
gristmill industry, ranking first at tae
censuses of both 1909 and 1904 in the
average number of wage earners EN-
ployed in merchant mills, in value OF
products, and in value added by manu-
facture. During 1909, 1O4, O42, 1895
bushels of wheat and 12,340167
bushels of other grains We're used in
the merchant mills of that state, and
22,737 ,404 barrels of wheat -four were
produced, or more than one-fifth of the
total for the United States. The mum
Der of wage earners employed in the
merchant mills of that state increa sec
TT per cent during the decade ending
with 1909, and the value of products
ST. per cent.
In New York, which ranked second
among the states, the merchant mills
used 30,073,407 bushels of wheat anC
40,271,9S6 bushels of other grain il
1909. More corn, buckwheat, and OTIS
were ground in New York than in any
other state. Larger percentages of in
crease from 1899 to 1909 are shown
for New York than for Minnesota.
Kansas ranked third in value Of
products and in value added by manu-
facture in 1909. OF the nine states
that led in respect to value OF
products, Kansas shows the most rapiG
development in the milling industry
during the period from 1899 to 1909
the number of wage carriers increasing
IS per cent and the value of products
221.1 per cent. Still higher percent
ages of increase, however are showr
for some of the states in which the
industry has attained Importance only
during recent years, such as Okla
homa, Idaho, Louisiana, Wyoming anG
Nevada
/ Corporation Increase.
In 1909, of the total number of mer