| Show DELIVERY DElVERY CHIEF PROBLEM MET IN INV V FLOUR Current Prices Declared Not Highest t on Record I herald Special I Minneapolis May Ia- Ia 16 The The Northwestern Northwestern North North- western Miller In Its Ia weekly review of tho the flour four markets says Tho The great grent problem of ot the tho past tow few days in the flour trade trado has been to tp secure delivery of ot flour our already alread bought for which nol cars no cars have havo been available Stocks in man many of the large consuming centers such as New Now York and Chicago clearl down downto are arc clearly getting getting- to a point where if It they are arc not re replenIshed replenished ro- ro within two or three throe weeks serious local shortages are likely to result resul As a rule plen plenty of flour has been jeon purchased much of ot It at prices below present levels but tho the railroads appear absolutely unable to handle It It Talk Talc of ot a flour famine appears ab absurd absurd nb- nb surd In view of or the great quantities ground during the crop year ear and y vet v-t v t certain centers aro are unquestionably face ace to face taco with wih a very ery serious situa situa- tion ton Flour prices made a very en sharp ad advance advance advance ad- ad vance all al along the line Jine last week followIng fol- fol lowIng loving advancing wheat prices the gain in patents amounting to 40 to 65 55 cents and bringing quotations ma- ma tonally higher than nt at nt any previous time since sinco three years ago ngo All Al grades shared In the gain clears advancing 25 to 50 GO cents and likewise showing a considerable advance advance Spring wheat patents went up another 30 cents cm oil e May 10 bringing them to an an average a of about 16 1616 lo Milling wheat remained hard to got get Got with wih prices rising almost dally daily daly On Ma May 10 No o. o 1 dark northern spring wheat sold In Minneapolis at to while No 1 hard winter sold In Kansas City Cay at 05 31 and No 2 rod winter was quoted In Columbus at r Inn HT 11 A Transportation difficulties continued to io prevent real business from reaching reaching large largo proportions many mills actually refusing to quote prices on account of ot their Inability to secure wheat or to ship flour Tho The demand was scattering and mostly for tor small email smal lots but on the whole active There has ha been boon much p talk of ot current being the prices highest on record which is of ot course not the case A comparison of or corresponding corresponding- averages for tor May S 8 8 1920 and May 15 1917 at atthe tho the time Ume when foreign government speculative wheat buying had driven prices suddenly upward shows that three years ears ago patents were ere 95 96 cents to 25 higher than the they are now and clears to 7 higher Three years ago on tho the other hand an aver avor- age gc quotation for bran hran was was was' as as against today toda Tho The average quotations are arc as ns tol follows OW rno Quotation Hard Soft Patent Patent- Spring Spring- SprinG wInter winter May fa S 8 S. S 19 1920 0 1385 1490 1370 Ma May 15 16 15 1917 1670 1635 1035 1 1395 95 l' l First cl elar- elar ray r- r May ay S S. S 1 1920 20 1060 1105 1105 1070 Ma May 1 15 15 1917 1435 H. H 1425 G 1415 The course courso of ot prices for or top patents is indicated in the following table showing howing average quotations at four tour representative markets two western and two eastern Hard Soft Spring winter winter May S 1585 1490 13 1310 70 May la 1 1545 1430 1305 April AprI 1 1430 1420 10 1320 1330 1235 March 1 1370 1280 1223 1225 Feb 1 1465 1370 1240 Jan 2 1535 1435 1245 Dec 1 1425 1426 1310 1143 1145 Nov No o 1 1270 1210 1170 1170 14 1075 Previous year crop ear high point The following table gives an approximate Imato a average rage for quotations on first clears In eastern castern and western markets markets mar mar- Hard Harl Soft Spring SprinG winter winter Sor May 8 1060 OGO 1105 1075 May ra a 1 1035 1035 1055 1056 10 1035 35 Am 11 1 in 23 n m fir March i i. i h- h hC 1 C 95 Fob Feb ob 1 Gu 9 95 45 i Jan 2 1010 1050 lOGO 96 Dec 1 0 Nov 1 An approximate approximate- average quotation for tor bran of ot all nI types in both eastern and western markets as ns reported on onlay May lay 8 WR por ton which compares com coin pares parcs with the following previous ious qu quotations 0 ta t to fl is May 1 Jan 1 April Apri 1 5 Dec 1 March 1 Nov 1 1 Or Fob 1 Oct 1 Despite the car CRr shortage which has not only continued but which la In In some somo Ejections Is reported as worse than over tho the flour tour output has shown If I anything anything any any- thing thing a n A slight silent leht Increase and to tobe tobe tobe be little b by little returning to the tho neighborhood of weekly or about b below low tho the 1919 aver nver- age Tho Oklahoma Kansas hard win i ter wheat mils mills last lal week reported an an output representing 51 per con cent cont t of Capacity ca capacity ca- ca ns as H u against 49 and H 44 per cent for tho the two preceding weeks the Ohio valley valey group of ot soft winter wheat mills reported a n 34 31 p per r cent output as at a against 2 and amid 22 2 per cent cont and tho the spring wheat mills mis 42 per cent ent as Ut against t 3 s and Id 35 On tho the other hand Fomo fomo points such as aH Buffalo showed a marked marke decrease owl owing to the tho traffic traffic fic c tie Prospects ts for Cor the next few weeks are by no means mans bright Feed prices pries which would normally have dropped two or three weeks ago aJo If It the belated spring had hal not delayed pasturage are aro due for a 0 decline which with wheat as high us it is Is indicates flour our prices at least m maintaining their ther present leel level lev le el el at Zt which no ono one wants to buy If It ho lie can po possibly help It Crop reports so 10 far Car havo been een nono none too encouraging anti nd the farmers In man many sections are frankly frankl holding back their wheat for Cor 3 and more morl The railroad situation is doubly complicated b by tho the prospect of or orthe the new crop soon to bo be moved Against all al this tilts I la is to bo ho hI offset the program outlined at ot the tho Chicago meeting meet meet- In ing mist last Friday which may be able to substitute some Borne degree of or c certainty as asI asto asto to future developments dt in place of ot the I complete vagueness which at present prevails prevails- rova lie p a is |
