The Placer herald., 1873-07-26
THE WHEAT MARKET.

The Commercial Herald Of this city is
using whatever influence it possesses to in
duce the farmers to throw their wheat up
on the market and dispose of it at the rates
now offered by our buyers. So earnest and
assiduous is this commercial paper in its ef-
forts to this end, that it gives way to ex
pressions of i'll temper when it finds jour
nal offering facts and figures disproving its
arguments, and indul les in language which
is intended to convey the idea that it alone
is the oracle, and other prophets but mere
pretenders The Chronicle has expressed
the opinion that wheat spectators were
scheming to secure the wheat of the farm
ers fox less than what it is really worth,
and, with the facts and figures before us,
we see no reason for changing the opinion.
The assertion that California will produce
nearly or quite as much wheat for export
this year as last, is not true in fact. The
ac tual yield this year IS considerably less
than last; but when we consider the increase
of acreage and consequent increased cost of
production; the increase in the amount re-
CURED for home consumption, and the
quantity of wheat which must be reserved
for seed; the still greater acreage that will
be sown next year, we are forced to the
conclusion that this years crop for export
will not only be fully one-lourth less than
that of last year, but that in order to be
equally remunerative to the producer it must
be sold at considerable advance on the
price of last year.
The rates for California wheat in Liver
pool to-day do not materially vary from the
figures of one year ago. A like similarity
exists between the local rates now and then.
The prospects for European wheat crop
are barely up to the average, while it is
CONCEDED that Germany and France viii Of
fer England a strong oompotitinn for Cali
fornia wheat this year than during any pre-
vious season. The partial failure of the
wheat crop in several of the Western States,
owing TO Tie recent severe storms, and tor
nadoes, forete,s decrease in the export
from New York. These are arguments for
an early advance ii the price Of wheat
here.
Now, as regards tonnage, the strong
argument of those who are urging the farm
ers to rush their wheat into market. Ton
mage rates are about the same now as at
this date last year. But this connot last
long, for there is little or no wheat coming
in. An advance in wheat sufficient to in
duce the farmers TO SELL Or a decline in ton
mage, is inevitable and must come in few
days. Last year Mr.. Friedlander controlled
the tonnage in port and TO arrive for many
weeks. 1t is said he holds like monopoly
this year, but the facilities for obtaining this
years crop are not so advantageous as last
year, when, owing to the impoveris ment
occasioned by the crop failures of several
previous years, the farmers were at the mercy
of commission merchants and mddle-men,
who had advanced them money and seed,
and thus secured mortgage on their grain,
which forced sale as soon as their wheat
was in sack. This year farmers are gener-
ally better situated. They are not COM
peiIed to sell for whatever they can get.
Last year purchasers fixed the price of
wheat; this year farmers are in a POSITION
to say they will not sell until satisfactory
bid is offered. .
Nor is this all. Until the present sea-
son the farmers have acted every man for
himself, with no concert of action. Now
they are organized into Oranges, and each
man realizes that he is one of community
whose interests are identical. Thus organ
lied they present an unbroken front, on
which the small shot Of ring journals and
the skirmishes of spectators make no i'm
preston and produce no serious harm
The farmers of California are now well in
formed-too we'll informed to fall into the
traps set for them by the agents of tonnage
monopolists and wheat spectators. +.
Chronicle.