The Oskaloosa herald., 1916-07-13
FLOUR AND eRIsT MILLS

= the l9l4 census or manufacturers TOT
the fourmill and gristmill industry
has been issued by Director Sam l..
Rogers of the Bureau of the Census,
Department of Commerce. It. consists
, of statement of the quantities of ma
, terials consumed and the quantities
and values of the various products
manufactured, prepared under the di-
Erection of Mr.. William M. Stewart,
chief statistical for manufacturers.
, The figures are preliminary and are
subject to such change and correction
as may become necessary upon further
= Examination of the original returns.
Reports we're received from 10,7S7
establishments which did merchant
, grinding during 1914, the products of
(which were valued at $S75 ,496,013. At
the census of 1909 there were reported
,691 establishments, with products
valued at $SS3,5S4 405. There was thus
a decrease of 904 in the number of es.
adjustments and of nine-tenths of
per cent in the total value of products.
The increase in number of establish
ments is due largely to the tendancy
toward concentration in the industry,
as a result of which many small mills
which had been in operation in 1909
were out of business in 1914. Another
; cause is found in the fact that con-
siderable number of grain elevators
have given up the milling branch of
their business since 1909.
: Mills engaged exclusively in custom
grinding for toll or local consumption
should not be included in the census,
10 IN
conduct the inquiry in regard to such
establishments on uniform lines at diff
Iferent censuses. 1t may be that some
small mills which reported for 1899
that they were doing a limited amount
of merchant grinding, and which We're
therefore included in the census, re-
ported for 1914, that they were engag.
ed exclusively in custom work, and
for that reason were nSt enumerated.
This condition also assists in explain
ing the decrease in fhe number of es-
adjustments rSported at the census
of 1914. 4
The consumption Of wheat by -four
-muls and gristmills increased from
96.4S0. 314 bushels in 1909 to 543,970.-
O3S bushels in 1914, or by 90 per cent,
and that of rye from f1,503,969 bush
els in the earlier year to 12,74S, 1875
bushels in the later, or by 1913 per
cent. The number of bushels of oats
ground remained practically stationary
being 50241,5 9S in 1909 and 50,227,-
O50 in 1914. In the case of other grains
the figures show marked declines. The
consumption of corn decreased from
2O9.2S1.237 bushels in 1909 to 1S0,115,-
7O4 bushels in 1914. or by 1879 per cent
Of barley from 24,509,770 bushels to
202SS.396 bushels or by 17.2 per cent;
of buckwheat. from 7,156.062 bushels
to 5,47S.045 bu, or by 23.4 per cent
and of other grains, from 7,075.011
bushels to Apt, S64 bushels, or by 39,5
per cent The decrease shown for corn
probably may be accounted for by
the increased use of this grain, by es-
adjustments other than -four mills and
,EristmiIls. in the manufacture of
breakfast foods and of prepared foods
for animal consumption, which are
classified by the Census Bureau as
food preparations"
Products.
! The output of wheat flour, which
represented about 62 per cent of the
total value of products of this indus
try in 1914, increased in quantity dur.
ing the five year period from los, 1885,
645 barrels TO 116,045,090 barrels, or by
81 per cent but decreased in value
from $550,l16,254 to $5.42,051,75 or
by 1.5 per cent. This decrease in value
is due to the existence of abnormal
conditions during the year 1914. Wheat
was sold at very low prices up to the
early fall months, ranging from 20 to
IS cents per bushel, and many of the
large millers purchased their wheat to
cover their flour sales at the lower
figures, so that although prices increas-
ed rapidly during August, September,
October and November, advancing from
about 20 cents to S1.15 per bushel,
most millers had such a volume of low.
priced contracts on hand to fill. that
naturally the higher values we're not
felt in any marked degree until the
following year.
The production of corn meal and
corn flower decreased in quantity from
81 ,552,7 %7 barrels in 1909 to 16,327,s93
barrels in 1914, or by 24.2 per cent, and
in value from $G6,9i1 ,095 in the earlier
year to $54,963,301 in the later, or by
17.9 per cent. The output of feed and
OuiClhl dl ueCTedSb during 0-Yedr per
iod from 5,132,369 tons valued at $751;
067,959, or by IA per cent in quantity
and 20 per cent in value. On the other,
hand, bran and middlings showed an
increase from 10000 tons, valued at
$S9.S14,427gOto 4.64S,93O tons, valued
at $104,S5Q,Ga59 amounting to 1873 per
cent in quantity andnSa2 per cent in
value hs. sts 9dt -
The total value of other products OF
the industry, comprising rye flower and
rye Graham, buckwheat -four, barley
meal. hominy and grits. oatmeal, corn 4
oil. breakfast foods, rolled oats. and 4
other products-amounted to $37,062.-
346 in 1914. The output OF rye -four and
rye Graham increased by 25.S per cent
in quantity and 22.2 per cent in value.
and that of hominy and grits, by 81
per cent in quality and 101 per cent in :
value; while the production of buck.
wheat -four decreased by 2S.7 per cent
10 quantity and 1875 per cent in value,
and OF barley meal; by 81 per cent in |
and SOL per cent in value (
fhe remaining products SO far as sep I