Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-09-05
/ P,eT ReiHra.

Fa-rcr- 70 sa-teru r#-s. ere
eou mi Na~l.l-- % at. 80 "a tAs
ritta-es 90 s. r,,-+ve --.'- ,-- ir-i-
al fer :l...- r..... t,.,,I.1 e., IL,
near,-, ..r .'. r.. ..l '4.- sine
time -, .-.-..- u t.-'v mics of
haul. .....-,lt f.rler-
know etvI... ..la'; bt produced
for l,-- 'i.e .r.u city to -.
cent ;,v t.,ll sal .ea,r mar
Gun verjae t.t ,Hnr; Of Vel d.
rect,l .gec,c. The cost If trans
porting "a tu-hel cf wheat from
Wa'lula 10 Portland 81 Astoria aver
ages alou: thirty-thrce cents. That
there i positive wrong somewhere
is plainly evident, but how to rene-
dy it is question involving a good
many other minor difficulties. The
high prices which are row ruling in
Europe for American 5rradstuffs
show conclusivolv that somebody is
doing banking business in the grain
transactions. Late adyices from Eng
land only confirm the alarming ac-
counts of failure of crops through
out the Kingdom, and ship-ownols
are preparing foi the transportation
of grain during the coming twelve
months, on scale wholly unprece-
denied in the annals of Atlantic COM
merce. Whether for speculation on
home consumption it matters very
little, but the fact is OMNIBUS and sig
niticant that France is deeply en-
gagged in the wheat and flour impor-
tation business. The great bulk of
gold now being shipped from that
country to this is for wheat alone.
The people of France have the rep
utation OF being frugal and provi-
dent people, and hence the late de-
velorments i'll the Frarco-American
grain movement is believed to have
its origin in IA deeply planned specu-
lative scheme inaurgurated and en-
gineered by French capitalists of far
seeing proclivities. If the acute
financiers of Paris see a grain famine
in the immediate future of Europe,
and, Pharaoh-l!ke, are filling their
storehouses against the time of sor-
est need, then are they indeed driv.
ing business with vengeance.
1t is safe to say that Oregon and
Washington Territory will very soon
be able to control the wheat market
of the Pacific Coast, if that time has
not already come. This ought to
be an encouraging circumstance to
the grain raisers of this Northwest
tern coast. 1t has been suggested
that grain dealers convention be
called to meet in Portland for the
purpose of taking such steps as will
secure to producers and home deal
ers, or mlddle-men,' a fair and re-
munerative compensation for all
kinds of grain destined to be shipped
to foreign ports. Not pound of
wheat should be permitted to leave
our shores without being replaced by
q fair cash equivalent. When it is
announced that it costs quite or
nearly as II UGH to transport thou
sand tons of wheat, by steamer,
from Wallula to Portland as to take
it from the latter city to London or
Liverpool, some idea can be formed
OF the enormous monopoly exercised
by the Columbia river steamer lines.
One-half of the money paid, at pres
ent rates, to transport grain down
the Columbia, ought to go into the
hands of producers to assist in fur
Their developing the country. If
large farmers cannot, through COM
bined capital and influence, do some
thing towards righting the matter,
then the grain buyers, themselves,
should take it in hand. Calculation
shows that steamers can ignore pas
senecr traffic and carry the grain
raised in the Walla. walla valley to
the mouth of the Columbia river for
from three to four dollars per ton
and realize handsome profit. AS
the matter how exists, millions of
bushels OF grain, representing the
vital worth of our country, are leav.
ing our soil every year, without SO