Daily Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1854-1855, 1855-09-28
TIE PRICE, OF FLOUR

TAE fklVk VI GlVuA
An erroneous Impression prevails in com.
muniiy with respect 10 the price Of -four.
and men are disposed to censure the manu-.
fac,arers in this city for the prices ii which
they hold their best brands, without giving
the sabiec, sufficient examination. Wheat
is only Sl.ao pc, bushel, they argue. while
the price Of q our ia $500 per barrel. and Is
only 5.s bushels of wheat are required to
make one barrel of -four, the margin is too
wide for profit; ergo, the manufacturers
charge too much relatively For their f,our.
Our farmers were wont to coutend. that 90
long as they obtained fifty cents per bushel
for spring wheat, they were amply compen-
Gated for their labor in raising it. As they
now get about double that amount, ts.y can.
not complain OF the prices. st. Louis is not
our market now, If it were, then manu.ac-
surerslof -four would b, willing to sell it
here at 5000 per bbl. as it would not nett
them over that amount in ST. Luis. Nor
is Chicago our market, otherwise, as hour Is
only worth $7,75 per bbl. in that city, i,
woald be sold at 500 here. Railroads
have opened new market To our -four man
utac,urers. All OF the folr Of the best
brands mad. in Davenport, except the little
retailel hire, is shipp,a - the New York
market. In that city "Albiou" -four CON-
mands $1,000 per b5i.; the expense OF
transportation is Sl,6o per bbl., 80 that in.
stead OF extor,ing. our manufacturers are
actually sacrificing 40 cts. on every barrel
OF fiour sold in this city a, 50 90. In New
York this brand OF four commands IS cents
m pre- per Dbl. than any other, and is all the
time ready sale. A heavy fisur dealer 10
Albany. n. Y, says that the bakers of that
city prefer il TO any other flour that comes
to thu, market. and assert tina, i. contains
eight pounds N ore of gluten to the barrel.
Daring the las, txelvemonth our manu-
fac,urers are reported to have Melted nearly
one hundred thousand dollars on their hour
operations, but al the same time their
profits would have been several thousand
dollars greater had they not retailed sin
gle barrel of -four in this market. There is
no remedy Tor the high price of -four here
but to glut the New York market and thus
reduce its prices, then we may realize
corresponding depression. While our -four
commands higher price in the New York
market than other brands, our spring wheat
is regarded inferior. Now from all this We
argue, not that men should condemn the
manufacturers for having the conscience to
ask S., 90 per tbl. for -four when they are
offered $40 for the same, Blu, that We must
have more competition in -four making
Six additional girls, mills Of the size of the
one puti1g SO continuously in our city,
would fad grain sufficient to keep them
running day and night without cessation
Sach competition might not reduce the
price of -four. but il would elevate that OF
wheat; il would centre here increased trade
and from 8 wider scope of country, and
make the money wherewith to purchase
douy, more abundant. This is the proper
vay to strike at the root OF the evil. and We
hsee some of our capitalists, or those abroad
who desire to embark 10 money making
business, may be induced to invest their
means in good, substantial -four mills in
thiscity.