Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-09-17

tWaterville Times, Sept. 5.


The following communication is sent
in by subscriber, and We give it space
though We do not subscribe to all its
charges:
As the hop crop of 1884 is now being
harvested, and it becomes more appa-
rent every Gay that the hop dealers and
brewers will resort TO the same means
they employed so successfully last sea
son to keep prices down, perhaps it will
be to the interest of hop growers to know
what those means were. In the first
place, America did not grow enough
hops in 1888 for home consumption and
export demand; and the fact that there
are far less hops in brewers, dealers
and growers hands today than there
was one year ago, proves that conclu-
sively, for ii must be remembered that
there were many thousand bales of old
hops in the country on Sept. LIST, 1888
Today the brewers are nearly empty of
hops, the dealers have none in their
warehouses, and only few small and
scattering lots can now be found in the
entire country.
New, how did the dealers get the
1888 crop from the growers at such low
prices?
III tuo DfSt ptdCc. tucEc WaSd put up
job" between the dealers and brex to
keep prices down. The dealers we're to
get good round price from the brewers
ard do all the buying
The handto- mouth policy was to be
rigidly enforced, and the dealers were to
buy as cheap as they could. In order TO
start the thing off in good shape, the
dealers had to secure the cooperation
Of few influential hop growers in diff
ferent localities. These growers, by
having q liberal bonus paid to them,
made sham sales to dealers at about %
to % cents per pound. This had the
desired effect: growers got frightened
and prices rapidly fell below those fie-
ures. Another important part of the
program WAS the big lie that Germany
could spare England IL 600 bales of hops.
That falsehood was published and scat
tered broadcast among the hop growers.
OF course every hop grower now knows
that 1t was wilful lie and that England
got her supply almost entirely from
America, and that Germany required
her entire crop for home consumption.
What will be the hop crop of 1884? II
can be Slammed up in few words. Ger
many, according 20 NJ. Bruce Tate and
other good authorities, will grow only
half a crop. England will be more than
two thirds short of her requirements,
and Amerioa from 35 to 30 per cent. short
of last years crop, and old heps are
nearer gone the werld over than they
have ever been. Such being the case,
prices should rule higher for the coming
crop than they ever have before, as there
has never been a time when crops were
so short in comparison TO requirements.
Hop growers, however, have il all in
their own hands; for If they choose to
be bulldosed and lied out of their crops
as they were the last season, there is GER
tainly no Law to prevent it. II, on the
other hand, they prefer to make the
most of an opportunity that may never
escar again. they will govern themselves
accordingly. But there is to be a strug-
gle. Dealers will resort to every means
in their power 10 buildoze the growers.
Already the big lie that Germany can
supply England With part of her re
quIrements 10 being resGrrected. Some
dealers even have the ispudeuce and
cheek to assert that We will grow q full
crop, and have secured the services OF
papers outside of hop centers To publish
such statements They have also con-
tracted enoaRh of the coming crop at
Low figures TO keep the brewers running
for few weeks. 30, IL dealers play OF
for q while, growers should not get
frightened. but keep quiet and the deal
eFs will csme out of their holes in due
time and paw roundiy for hops when
they find that growers are as we'll post
ed as they are. Neither should growers
get alarmed st the bugbsar substitute
talk of dealers; for If substitutes could
be successfully used, they would not cart
whether there we're any hops or not
Growers should also bear in mind ths
| fact that /. 10 the dealers who make Of
discsrraging hop reports, make sham
sales between each other, and mark
quotations down from day to day fol
the express purpose of bniidozing thu
growers. This il one of their most sue
cessful tricks. and that they are engaee<
In it At the present time is shown by ths
Nev York Commercial Bslfetis of Aug
18th. which says: IS Artificial prices ar,
being made 10 serve personal ends-'
However, IL remains TO be seen whethel
their scarecrow will be as effective ID
frightening growers into their terms
this year a. 10 vaa the past season.