The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1884-02-01
Our Wheat Market.

WINE farmers In Othef parts oil the
State are complaining at discrlmIna
tons which reduce the prices received
for their wheat the producers Of Blue
Earth county are apparently not dis
satisfied with the prices they are rcceiv
Ing. No complaints having arisen in
this section, the Pioneer Press sent a
representative here to learn wherein our
farmers have advantages Over those in
other parts of the State, and the follow
ing is his report.
"This is the first place where have
seen wheat buyers on the streets, hang
ing on to farmers sleds, and actually
bidding against each other. both in
prices and grade Of the grain. Ii is Il
hopeful sign. The farmers don't com.
plain Of the treatment here, and rs far
rs have been able to learn, have re-
ceived this season, all their wheat was
worth and a little more, as compared
with eastern prices. The only cause foi
this happy state of affairs is u free
market, and equal rights of shipmen,
The wheat buying business is not en-
tirely in the hands of monopoly and
the railroads are forced, by competition.
to carry wheat at reasonable rates and
without discrimination. A large mill
ing demand also helps the market very
much, and, in fact, the uniformly fail
prices for wheat in this vicinity may b,
directly attributed to that. The steam
mill of r. D. Hubbard has capacity OF
$50 barrels per day, which means the
consumption of about $500 bushels OF
wheat. The elevator on the Winona &
st. Peter road formerly under the con
troll of Van Dusen & Co. has been leas
ed by the mill, and Is used almost eX.
clusively tor storing gram. Still il is b
free elevator In every sense OF the word.
aud outside buyers are allowed the Us,
Of it without discrimination. Mel
chants here buy elevator tickets to IL
considerable extent, and no complaints
uf unfair treatment are heard. Peavy 4
Co. control a 1000 bushel elevator OH
St. Paul & Sioux City division OF the
st. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha, anu
Cargill Bros. smaller one on the Mil
waukee road. In addition to tha.. Mr.
J. G. Roller owns fiat warehouse, and
buys apd ships in cars on his own ac.
count. These different interests make II
com petition that is felt, and as result
the farmers get a good price for theii
wheat, aud there is very little complaint
of unfair grading. While there is NJ
special effort made by the different buy
efs to run up the prices of wheat above
the market, still it is not allowed Ia
drag for q moment. Every buyer is
compelled to keep up his enc
or he won't get his share OF the wheat
The different roads at this point art
forced to give equal facilities to ship.
pers, even Il they are pooled, and car.
are placed at the disposal Of anybody
who desires to ship. The station agents
say they have instructions to furnish
single cars when they are demanded
though very few persons outside of thu
regular buyers have asked sDecia
cars "
In striking contrast to this is til,
condition OF the market in many place
in the northern part of the State. w
have it from unquestioned authorit.
that at points along the line Of thu
Manitoba road the wheat mOnopolist
have such a grip upon tho market tina
the farmers are not realizing anything
near the actual value OF their wheat
The price paid for the cereal is from b
cents to 40 cents per bushel, and upon
every bushel purchased there is dock
age OF about 8 pounds, when IN fac
there is not more than two pounds %
faulty grain in bushcl. The whea
thus purchased is sold at about !;
cents, yielding an immense profit t.
the monopolist. Were there indepcn
dent buyers in the field this condition
of affairs would not long exist. IT,.
producers in this section may we'll con
graduate themselves that there are in
dependent buyers who have grit enough
to hold their own in the market, thu
increasing the profits to the farmer
thousands of dollars annually.