The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1885-11-20
DULUTH AS q WHEAT s1ARKE n.
.,,... DrIu1z, Nov. il, 1885.

Editor HorI PIosxRn: 81 IS 81 r,s'ys ss
Ipromised to gfve your readers my views Of
Duluth as wheat market; and will cernmence
BY saying that her position at the head IF Lake
Superior naturally gives her an advantage over
all other points in the Northwest as an entire
pot for wheat which 10 to find il way to east
ern markets. She is just as near 10 Buffalo hy
water as Chicago ID, while she il nearer Is
Omaha and Denver than is Chicago. Hers is
steadier and better market than Minneapolis.
prices having generally ruled higher here than
in the latter city. It is true that Minneapolis.
through her long lines Of elevators in the cou11-
try, has been able 10 control the market almost
at her sweet will. She has held the wheat in
these country elevators when, Through wars
that are dark and tricks that are yain.n she
wished wheat to 60 up, and then when sho
desired to depress prices, all she had to do waj
to load all available cars and inundate Mime.
apols with wheat and down went prices
She has endeavered to crush cut all culnpeti-
ton, and wherever local buyers have appeared
to compete with their buyers in the country
towns, they have ressrted to the tactics Of pay
ing several cents per bushel above the market
price at neighboring tswns to draw trade from
and punish the unfortunate town which had
the presumption to tolerate buyer to compete
with the great Aillers Association. Now, hon.
est competition is one thing, but resort to
such methods to punish whole community
for tolerating honest competition ought to be
beneath tue dignity Of great association like
the Millers'. But II it is not what should the :
farmers do? They should refuse to sell them
their wheat at any price, as long as they re-
sort to such contemplate methods. In this
way they would bring about a revolution in
their conduct and thereby subserve their owD,
best and lasting interests.
Duluth is an open market, where the wheat
consigned to commission men is sold on its ar
rival here openly on the Board Of Trade, or is
held at the pleasure Of the farmer, but when 1t
is sold, 1t is sold openly to the man who will
pay the most for it. 1t is true that your COM
mission man might get for your wheat tho
highest price paid on the day of sale, aud ac-
count to you at the lowest price at which any
sale was made on that day, and pocket the Diff
ference, but you must run the risk Of this.
Only be careful in the selection Of your COM
mission men. There may be some rcgues on
the Board Of Trade, but there are alss honora-
BILE men who will lsok out for your interests as
zealeusly as it would be possible for you to do
yourself.
Iprsmiscd to say something of grading un-
der the new law, but just what to say do not
know. The grading Of wheat is one of the
most difhcult problems-in fact the NEST diff
cult of all connected with the growing, trans
portation and marketing Of wheat. The State
law Is good enc in itself; the only troDble
being In its administration. 1t is charged that
the officers selected to carry out tho law are
appointed through political faveritsu, and not
with reference to special fitness, through long
experience, to discharge the duties Of their po-
stions. How this may be, cannot say. If
these appointments to these important Offices
arc made III this way, then there should be /
little wholesome civil service reform in the
State government Of Minnesota. If the law
is faithfully and uniformly administered, the
same at Minneapolis and st. Paul as at Duluth,
then even and exact justice is done TO all; but
il one rule fer dockage, for instance, obtains
in Minneapolis, and more stringent rule in
Duluth, then the gravest injustice results not
only to the shipper but the market where the
more stringent rule obtains. But fear have
already trcspassed too much upon your space.
M CAVAShGH