Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-02-01
MELLOR RAPS MIXED FLOUR
Secretary of Board of Agriculture
Says Measure Will Result in
Poor Bread.
STANDS UP FOR NEBRASKA
From a staff correspondent

From a staff Correspondent
LINCOLN, Jan. 3i.-(Special)-Secre
tary w. r.. Mellor Of the state Board OF
Agriculture is not in sympathy with a
movement started by the American Manu-
facturers' Association of Products Of
Corn. which through its secretary, Robert
G.. Gould, has addressed letter to Mr.
Melor advocating mixing corn meal with
flour for the purposes of food, as advo-
Gated by bill, II. r. 94O9, introduced in
the national house of representatives by
Henry T. Rainey, member from .lnois
and which will be sponsored in the senate
by Senator Cummins of Iowa.
Mr. Gould asks that the secretary of
the Nebraska board bring the matter be-
fore the board with the idea of an en-
dorsement which should be sent to all
members of congress in Nebraska in
9th houses and also asks him to write
few letters to the members calling
their attention to the bill.
/ Mr. Mellor has responded in the follow
ing letter:
Your letter of January % received. Per-
sonally, we do not coincide with your
illinois, Iowa and Missouri. states that
produce corn in great quantities and but
small yields of wheat TO assist legisla-
tion to increase the value of their crop
production. Here in Nebraska, over a
period of years, we raise nearly equal
amounts of corn and wheat as to value
and our breeding and feeding Of live stock
I Is another matter for consideration. In
! the live stock industry the government
| gives Nebraska a 1915 production of all
animals Figuring a one-third value on
that 1t takes three years to mature) Of
more thant $121, 600. eco. This breeding and
feeding industry is vitality interested IN
securing forage and garin ut prices per-
hitting margin which will not cripple
this great activity
The passage of the law you desire would
materially cheaper wheat If it raised the
| price of corn. We think that mixing corr
| flour with wheat flour would reduce the
cost Of making the flour trifle, TO the
manufacturer; but would the people bene'
small miller would have to either pur-
| chase his corn flour from the big millinl
concerns, or else put in expensive ma
chinery which would have to be paid fol
out of additional profits. We are also
of the opinion that bread made from {
mixture of corn and wheat flour would b'
very white and light, but to offset tina
pleasing feature. on account Of the starcl
| In the corn flour, Ii would dry out yer,
quickly, leaving the bread dry and hare
within twenty-four hours after baking
Added to this. corn flour would lacl
flavor and tn etasty qualities in suol
mixed bread would come wholly from TN
wheat flour; therefore we do not thinl
dry and tasteless bread would prove an!
great boon to our citizenship.
Therefore, In summing up, Nebraska 1
dotted over with small local milling In
dustries, many of which would be put OF
of business II 1t were necessary TO max
these changes or even II they Attempted
to buy all the corn flour from the grea
milling centers Our people would b
compelled TO eat dry and tasteless breai
TO benefit the large milling concerns; on
feeders and breeders would be placed II
! nOEttiOn of added pNnanSa in darwin
and beef production. our farmers woul
secure less revenue from grain. all ia,
with very little announcement for
trltling raise In the price of corn.
In view of all these apparent obsta cles
to me personally, we do not see how W
Nebraskans can favor such law.