The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-07-13
FLOUR AND eRlsT MILLS


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 a statement of the quantities of ma.
terials consumed and the quantities
and values of the various products
manufactured prepared under the di
Irection 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 were 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
IL ,691 establishments, with products
valued at 1888, 5S4 ,405. There was thus
la 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 tendency
toward concentration in the industry,
as 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,
but it is not in all cases possible to
conduct the inquiry in regard to such
establishments on uniform lines at diff
ferent censuses. 1t may be that some,
small mills which reported for 1899
that they were doing limited amount
of merchant grinding, and which Mere
therefore included in the census, re-
ported for 1914, that they we're engag-
ed exclusively in CUSTOM work, and
for that reason, we're not enumerated
This condition also assists in explain
ing the decrease in the number of es-
adjustments REPORTED at the census
of 1914. 4
The consumption Of wheat by flour
,mills and gristmills increased from
6,4S0,314 bushels in 1909 to 543,970.-
03S bushels in 1914, or by 9.6 per cent,
and that of rye from 11,503,969 bush.
els in the earlier year to 12,74S,135
bushels in the later, or by 1913 per
cent The number of bushels of oats
ground remained practically stationary
being 50,241 1913 in 1909 and 50,227,-
050 in 1914. In the case of other grains
the figures show marked declines. The
cOnsumDtiOn of corn decreased from
1921 .237 bushels in 1909 to $50, 49,
704 bushels in 1914, or by 1879 per cent
Of barley from 24,5O9,770 bushels to
20.288.396 bushels or by 17.2 per cent;
of buckwheat, from 7,156,062 bushels
to 5,478,O45 bu, or by 23.4 per cent
and of other grains, from 7,075.011
bushels to 4,277,SG bushels, or by S95
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
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 S550,116,254 to $5.42,051, 1852, or
by 1.5 per cent. This decrease in value /
is due to the existence of abnormal
during the year 1914. Wheat
was sold at very low prices up to the !,
early fall months, ranging from 20 to =
81 cents per bushel, and many of the :
arge millers purchased their wheat to !,
cover their -four sales at the lower +
igures, so that although prices increas- =
I'd rapidly during August, September,
October and November, advancing from
about 20 cents to $l.15 per bushel,
most millers had such volume of low
priced contracts on hand to fill. that
the higher values we're not
cit in any marked degree until the ,
year. /;
The production of corn meal and /,
orn flower decreased in quantity from :
i ,552,7%7 barrels in 1909 to 1927, 500 :
arrels in 1914, or by 24.2 per cent, and. !
n value from $66,941 095 in the earlier !
ear to $54,963,301 in the later, or by :
10 per cent. The output of feed and i
fficial al decrease during Swear per-
I'd from 5,132,369 tons valued at $137,- i
67959, or by IA per cent in quantity .
nd 20 per cent in value. On the other /;
and, bran and middlings showed an >
lcrease from 10000 tons, valued at 4
1854. 427yQto A ,64S,930 tons, valued ]
$104,35Q,GS5j amounting to 1873 per N
emit in quantity anda5a2rper cent in /,
alue. s SIC all ~.
The total value of other products OF n
lie industry, comprising rye flower and K
re Graham. buckwheat flour, barley "
eal. hominy and grits, oatmeal, corn Il
], breakfast foods, rolled oats, and 81
her products-amounted to $37,062- c.
I6 in 1914. The output of rye flour and
e Graham increased by 25.S per cent e:
quantity and 22.2 per cent in value, in
I'd that of hominy and grits, by 81 lie
n cent in quality and f0.1 per cent in 81
lue; while the production of buck
heat -four decreased by 2Sl7 per cent
quantity and 1875 per cent i'm value,
d OF barley meal, by 81 per cent in fu
antity and Sol per cent In value. eli
le remaining products so far as sep M
ated reported in both years, also SD
pwed decreases. Gt