73 



GRAIN HANDLING IN BULK. 



By the adoption of bulk handling, the creation of 

 loading and discharging elevators, of grain silos or 

 local deposits, the costs of transport both by rail and 

 steamer have been reduced to a minimum and the ex- 

 isting grain trade made possible. 



Had cheap transport not been evolved, the sup- 

 planting of the home grown article in Europe, by the 

 American grown cereals would never have been the 

 accomplished fact it is to-day. 



Cheap transport has reduced the advantages of 

 the local grower on the local market, and has practic- 

 ally eliminated the disadvantages of producing an ar- 

 ticle of immediate consumption thousands of miles 

 from the actual consumer. 



The creation of the elevator or grain silo made 

 feasible the transport of grain to the farthest centres 

 of consumption in such a condition as to be able to 

 compete with that cultivated at the doors of the con- 

 sumers . 



With the elevator the transport of grain was con- 

 verted into an easy matter, it resolved the problem of 

 cheap and adequate handling. 



It began by abolishing the sack, the first step in 

 economical handling; the loading of grain in sacks 

 was found to require ten times more men to start with 

 than need be employed, by the elevator, operating in 

 sacks took twenty times more time. Thus another im- 

 portant economy was secured by the elevator. Sacks 

 involve fif ty times more loss through damage, etc . 

 Here another heavy item disappeared. Railway wa- 

 gons could be filled to their utmost carrying capacity, 

 (further economy) and this in a few minutes, while 

 they could be emptied equally as quickly again (an- 

 other reduction in costs) . Fewer wagons were needed 

 for the same locomotives hauled a heavier net cargo; 

 loaded trains could be run oftener and returning cargo* 

 trains of empty wagons moved with less obstruction. 

 In short the lines were utilised to greater advantage 

 for the owners' or shareholders' pockets. 



The addition of machinery for drying, cleaning and 

 classifying the grain previous to embarking it for 

 transport, increased the value of the article and per- 

 mitted it to withstand long transport across half a con- 

 tinent with a minimum loss: it meant steady freights. 



That steps to secure these advantages for our own 



