St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-04-28
FLAX SEED AND OIL.
John A. Wizards Answer to Earl
s. YOumans.

John A. Wizards Answer to Earl
S. YOumans.
To the Editor OF the Globe.
In your daily issue April IA appeared
what purported to be "a criticism by Earl
s. Youmans, of Winona, upon the posi-
ton of Congressman Lind on the Mills
bill, the salient points only being given.
The Mankato Linseed Oil company,
with which have been connected for
fifteen years, is twice referred to in the
article, and the statements with which
it is connected are entirely erroneous,
and l ask brief space in your paper
for their correction, without abiding to
any other subject of his letter than flax
and linseed oil, with which he has con-
nected our mill. Speaking Of the tariff
on seed and oil, Mr.. Youmans says:
ssNo growers of flax in Mr.. Lind's dis
trict can be benefited by the duty, for
the reason that the natural markets for
flax raised in his territory are Mankato
and Minneapolis, and from any point
where foreign fax is received in this
country the freight to these markets is
SO nearly the amount of the duty that it
cannot affect the price," The facts are
that, while Mankato and Minneapolis
buy some flax, they do not take one
quarter of what is raised III Minnesota;
the other three-quarterS goes to Chi
cagO, thence much of it to Eastern
points, including New York city, where
the price paid for it is holly regulated
by the cost of importing foreign seed;
New York. taking the surplus, fixes the
price for Chicago, and Chicago for Min
nesota; hence if the duty is taken Off
and the price lowered 20 cents per
bushel, or any amount. the Minnesota
farmer gets so much less for his seed.
Mr.. YoumanS argues that the farmers
of Minnesota are more interested in get
ting cheap oil than in raising fax.
All the mills in Minnesota buy less
state: only about One-third of their oil
product and less than One-tenth their
cake product is used in the state, so that
Minnesota only consumes one-ninth Of
the oil and One-thirtieth of the cake
from seed she produces. For the bal
ance she draws money from elsewhere.
Under these circumstances, are the
farmers of Minnesota not more inter-
ested in high priced seed than low
priced oil? They would obtain neither
If all the oil mills of the country were
turned to other uses, as would be the
case if the duty were taken from oil as
well as seed, and England become our
Manufacturer from India seed.
Again, Mr.. Youmans says: "There
is a large oil mill at Mankato, and it
belongs to the linseed oil trust. Just
before the organization of that trust the
price of linseed oil was quoted to US in
car lots, and now, four months later, it
has advanced more than so per cent,
with no increase in cost of production
to justify any such advance" This
statement is, if possible, farther
from the truth than the other.
On the 1st of December last,
which is about four months previous to
his writing, we sold raw linseed oil at
46 cents per gallon in car lots and at the
same time paid S1.14 per bushel for
flax-seed. Now, we sell raw oil in car
lots at SO cents and pay $1.35 per bushel
for seed. The rise in seed has been 81
cents per bushel while the advance in
oil has only been cents per gallon. 1t
takes good seed to make ~ gallons to
the bushel, therefore the advance in
seed of 81 cents would justify an adj
vance of 81 cents per gallon in Oil while
we have only advanced cents. Be-
sides is an advance from 46 cents to 81
cents an advance of so per cent?
But Mr.. YOumanS is in error again.
He has to go back not four months but
year and four months to reach back of
the trust. Then there was no "shamful
and wicked combination" The price
of raw oil in car lots was then dec. 1St,
1867 SO cents per gallon and seed at
Mankato so cents per bushel.
Seed was then So cents per buShel
less than now while oil was II cents per
gallon less. Mark the relations.) Surely
seed should have been higher then or oil
lower relatively to the present to prove
that the wicked combination" since
formed has harmed anybody. IshOuld
be glad to go further and show that not
only is the duty on seed and oil about
the only instance left where protection
directly benefits the farmer, but
that it is rendered absolutely necessary
by the fact peculiar to this industry that
the market for cake is almost entirely
in England and cake is twO-thirdS the
weight of the seed,
But l must not take your space,
further than to correct the leading mis-
statements of Mr.. Youmans, and will
close with the advice to him that before
he sets himself up as oneo the school
masters abroad" to enlighten the peO-
pie or to criticise the opinions or actions
of others he should first learn his lesson
better or confne himself to lumber COM
binations about which I doubt not he is
well posted. Respectfully yours,
JOHN A. WILLARD.
Mankato, April IS.