The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-06-17
E1o11r SDeculatiOll.

Flour Speculation.
This is a fine time for producers, but not
for the consumers. Why is it that, while
-four is selling for $5 at retail in Ohio, in
Washington it ranges from 81 to Sl2 =
There is great dea of foul speculationi the
orossest imposition is 'practised upon those
Who have to buy their bread. A city paper
evnoses one way in which rascality seeks to
swindle the people. 1t is becoming common,
il remarks, after an arrival from abroad, ana
the publication of the foreign commercial
news, for some papers to announce that Pr'-
cate aaoices have been received Of rise IN
the markets Just at the moment Of the dcpaar-
ture Of the steamer The pub ic accounts by
the steamer Caledonia reported flour at 39s
TO 40s. Being an Improvement III prices, a
considerable rise was the consequence. Al
forwards. on the authority Of pirate address,
II was stated that on the very day the steamer
sailed. flour had risen in the Liverpool mar
ket to 4Os Cd and AIS Cd. Another rise here
was the consequence, by which the peo-
ple were robbed, for the benefit Of few
sharks. A few days subsequently, says the
SINE paper, a speculative letter, dated Liver
pool. April 18th, was published expressing the
opinion that the scarcity would be so great in
that market by June or July as to run the
price up to COS or more. Up again went the
-four, and again were the poor people swim
died by lying avarice.
"On the l6th of this month";" the same pa
per says, "the steamer Britannia arrived at
Boston with fortnight's later intelligence,
having sailed from Liverpool on the 4th Her
accounts, both in the newspapers and CONNER
ciaI circulars, dated at Liverpool on the 81
and 4th, represent that during the fortnight
between her sailing and that OF the last steam
er flour had declined to SIS, but had again
rallied On the 30h April, the transactions
in -four were extensive at 39s, and gradually
rising in the course Of the morning, the trade
closed with free sale at 4Os. per barrel,
thereby fully recovering The decline preG'o"Sty
paoted;' and on the Sd, Western canal flour is
quoted at Liverpool as being worth 40 AIS,
and Philadelphia and Baltimore $685.. We
hear, however, nothing about the prices hay
inc been 4Os Cd a AIS Cd, as stated in the pri-
yafe adyices These are not only not men
toned in the papers and circulars, but having
served their purpose, seem to have been en-
tirely forgotten, even on this SIDE of the At
Iantic. Accor ling to them, the quotations
brought by the Britannia show poSaioe de-
cline in flour at Liverpool"
From all which it appears that the "pri-
vate advices" which had enabled the specula-
tors to plumber the poor consumers, were sheer
fabrications. But so successful was the game,
it was worth while to try it again Accord
inely,soon after the published accounts of the
foreign markets by the Britannica nother rise
was announced in the Liverpool market, and
again the people had to sweat. And then an
aothor-rascality was not yet satisfied.
"Two or three days MORE" says the In
tellirencer "were permitted to elapse, and
then came the private adviccs, from the most
reliable sources, dated at LtCerP0OL on the 4th.
These have Just time to state that there was
much excitement in London on the Sd; pur-
chasers having appeared from the Continent,
caused an advance IN flour Of three and four
shilings; it sold freely at 45s.; everything
offered was cleared off; 4GS. is now asked;
the best household, in sacks, has risen to equal
very nearly 52s 3D. per barrel; we shall sec
verv high prices before harvest Our mar
kets. of course; have taken another start; and
aided by the annual croalSing (always the
case at this season Of the Year, ofscarcity and
a poor prospect up-defying any one to tell
at what figure prices will take stand, or
when speculation will be satisfied
The next arrival will probably show that
these advices. too, are mere fabrications.-
Men who, in this cold-bloodcd style, under
cover of ying reports, speculate upon the ne
cessities Of the people, are more deserving OF
the pepitentiary than nine-tenths OF the e., un-
fortunate criminals who are sent there. They
are sneaking vampires, gorging themselves
with the blood of the poor. The papers winch
first publish these "privato advices' ought to
lie watched and, if such adviccs turn out to
be lies, they should be held up and treated as
swindlers.-Ntutional Era.