Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-11-06
REVIEW OF THE WEEK,

The flour trade has continued ex-
ceedingly dull everywhere except IN
the Far West. Utah, Idaho and n
Pacific coast reporting q fairly active
demand. Elsewhere the demand
though based clearly on an &C
than ever before, has been almost
wholly confined to immediate needs,
neither buyers o sellers showing
the slightest tendency to speculate
In fact, the slack demand has been
met by generally higher prices, toll
lowing the rise in premiums on good
milling wheat.
Mill operation continues about the
same, some points last week, how
ever. showing slight increase IN
percentage Of actual output. to ca
pacity.. The Pacific coast mills con-
tinued to run heavily. Seattle going
remaining at "a per cent, while Port
land, though dropping from its phe-
nomenal 101 per cent Of the week b 9
fore, ran on q IS per cent basis. A
year ago mills at these points were
running at IS, 81 and 50 per cent of
capacity, respectively. The spring
wheat group as, a whole showed a
slight increase on the week, and Is
running far ahead of last year. h
most conspicuous decline was among
the soft winter wheat mills, the out
put of the Toledo group dropping
from 70 per cent to "a. (
Flour prices have continued firm
in most cases. and in several markets
increases OF patents ranging log
have been recorded. At the same time,
resellers have been much in evidence.
aQd mill quotations have tended to
go both ways at once, with he re-
suit that, particularly in the east,
the range of quotations has been ex-
c%eptionally wide. The lower prices
made, however. have not indicated
any abnormal cagerness to SELL, and
in general flour has followed wheat.
for export has 10 far not caused
much serious trouble, except with
the soft winter wheat millers, who
continue to find the domestic market
unresponsive, even at prices well be.
low those Of hard wheat flours. II
has, however, piled up clears all over
the country. in quantities which are
more or less unstable even at low
prices. The demand everywhere Is
and a difference Of nearly 81 between
spring wheat first patents and first
clears, and Of 50 or SO in hard win.
tiers, does not. seem to be a SUFFICIENT
inducement to domestic buyers.
The car shortage, local embargoee
and labor troubles, particularly al
seaboard, have seriously interfered
with the movement of flour, and
shipping directions have been gen
orally slow in coming in. Both the
New York and New Orleans export
tually tied up by strikes. AS for the
coal strike, its influence so far On the
flour market has not been apparent;
and except for the general sense OF
uncertainty which the whole labor
situation has created. there seems to
be no particular a why 1t should
have any marked effect for h pres
ent. .
The millfeed market has been cas-
Ter. owing probably to the warmer
weather. Feed prices have stayed
marked eagerness to sell, but: where
accommodations had developed both
bran and middlings dropped 81 Or SO
per ton. +
The dullness of the flour business
just now seems to be an echo Of
world wide conditions. The grair
corporation is out OF the market, ant
is reported to have something like
$780, 900 barrels of flour held at sea
board, because it is not ~jmmediate',
needed, or else cannot be handled IL
Europe. 1t is reported that o .ee'
sacks Of export flour from the Paci
fic coast were unloadcd at Phi,ade1
phia, presumably for this same rea
son. The removal Of embargoes o.
imports and exports hangs largel.
m economic conditions in other coun
tries. The unsettling Influence of Ia
Dor unrest is part OF a movemen
LAUNCHED in Europe, Thus the effect
OF the war are making themselves in
directly felt in ways undreamed Of