The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-08-05
DRAKE MILL WILL
.BE;PURCHASEDBY
INDUSTRY BOARD
State Expects to Be Grinding
Out North Dakota Brand
of Flour in Month
CITIZENS BUYING BONDS
Community Assimilates Enough
Securities to Provide Pur-
chase Price Of Plant
CITIZENS BUYING BONDS

|. James A. McG0vern, manager Of the
North Dakota mill And elevator asso-
citation. was authorized at a meeting
OF the industrial commission Tuesday
to prepare contract for the purchase
OF the Drake Milling Co. plant at
Drake for consideration of 100000,
to be operated as state mill. The
citizens of Drake in consideration Of
the establishment of an experimental
mill there, have agreed to purchase
$36, GOO worth of the bonds of the mill
and elevator association, of which the
industrial commission will probably
issue 100000 at once. To comply
with the requirement that the bonds
be given first mortgage security, the
association will issue a mortgage on
the Drake mill property. The citizens
of Drake will therefore buy this util-
ity for the state with their own mon
ey. The Drake city council has also
agreed to vacate any streets which
tho commission may desire vacated to
provide for expansion of the plant.
Four Plants Considered.
Manager McGovern made detailed
report of his investigation of possible
milling sites. He advised that after
going over the entire field he found
four plants which complied with the
states requirements. He then con-
tracted with Toltz, King & Day, an
architectural and engineering firm of
St Paul, for survey of these prop
critics. They included the 'Minot Flour
Mill, at Minot; the Osce0la Mill & FL
evator Co. of Fairmount; the Baldwin
flour mill at Oakes, and the Drake
Milling Co., of Drake. Thomas San
derson, manager of the experimental
mill at the state agricultural college,
also made an examination.
The St. Paul firm reported, said
Mr.. McGovern, that to replace the
Drake property, allowing for deprecia-
tion, an investment of $32,92S would be
required Thomas Sanderson's esti-
mate of the value of the property was
$4,000. AS result of these reports
the offer of the Drake Milling Co. was
accepted, and the actual transfer
merely awaits the ratification of the
contract which Manager McGovern
is to prepare.
To Be Milling In Month.
Mr. McGovern believes that all de-
tails can be disposed of and the state
grinding out North Dakota flour with
in a month. The mill has a 125-barrel
daily capacity which can. it is said,
without adding to the buildings, be
doubled. The industrial commission
estimates that from one year to year
and a half will be required to get its
definite mill and elevator plan under
way. In the meantime the expert.
mental mill will be organizing staff,
developing market and providing a
field for the experimenting with vari-
GUS grades of wheat in the manufac-
ture of flour, says Secretary Morris.
AS result, when the state gets in
to the real game, the industrial CON-
mission feels that it will not be CROP
ing in the darg, but will be in posi-
ton to proceed with certainty.
In the meantime, states Secretary
Morris, Manager McGovern will pro.
ceed with the main project of estab-
fishing permanent mills and terminal
elevators which will carry out the
provisions of the act of the last as.
sembly committing North Dakota to
a program of industrial democracy"