The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-12-30
A Consumer ON the Problem
Confronting Us.
OREGON is IN THE SWIM
Some Figures That Let Light in
The Fsrmer and Consumer-A
Two Edged Machine.
To the Editor of THE GERALD:

and monopolists in order 10 enhance
their dividends at the expense of the
consumers of the products of such
trusts without regard to justice or to
intrinsic values.
have observed in looking over our
Oregon papers. that in that State -four
trust is in existence, of which com :
plant is made. not only by the farmers
who produce wheat of which the -four
is manufactured, but by the consum ers
also. A writer in the Capital Journal,
printed at Salem, the seat of govern
ment, writing over the signature of
Farmer" has this to say on the sub-
ject, which l hope The HERALD will
kindly print, in order that its readers
may know Just how the trust robs the
people of Oregon, and by virtue of this
knowledge be able to appreciate and to
defeat the operations of similar trust
lately attempted in Utah:
"In Oregon there exists the fl )ur
trust which is one of the most oppres-
sive and odious of these combinations.
1t is true it allows farmers to exchange
wheat for -four and gives forty pounds
tor bushel of wheat but only allows
them enough for domestic use and
limits their family rations Du.ing The
past season prior to the harvest of 1888
wheat in Salem was worth only 81
cents per bushel while -four during the
same time was sold for about an aver
age of 81 so per barrel. This, consider
ing the price of wheat, was at least 81
per barrel more than it should have
been. This enhanced price of -four has
been paid alike by all classes of our
people except few mlllers who pooled
their interests to control the output and
price, that they might share the booty
at the expense of the people.
Now let US do some figuring to show
how the matter stands: -Four and
oDe-half bushels of wheat will make
a barrel of -four. This four and one
half bushels at 60 cents. per bushel
costs the miller 81 70; cost of grinding,
etc. Eight per cent (the legal tolD 35
cents, cost of flour sacks 20 cents.
This makes the whole cost of barrel
of -four So 3d. From this should be
deducted the value of the tran and
shorts made from the four and one
half bushels of wheat which should be
seventy-four pounds, the difference
between the weight of a barrel of
-four 1875 pounds and the weight
of four and one-half bushels OF wheat
270pounds Bran and shorts sold alta
average of SIG per ton or four-ffths of a
cent per pound. So the seventy-four
pounds of bran and shorts would be
worth SO cents. Takesthis from So 81,
the cost of the wheat and expense of
manufacturing andspacking the -four,
and We have barrel of -four ready for
the market, costing the mill $2,75
This taken from 81 80, the price -four
sold for, leaves the miller $175 net pro-
fit on each barrel of -four. Seventy
FIVE cents would be a most liberal profit
to the miller and afford him business
much more lucrative t1an farming.
Now let us make few more figures
and show what this enhanced price of
81 per barrel has cost the good people
of Oregon in twelve months. Suppose
the population Of Oregon to be 300, 0O0
and that each individual consumes
daily one-hslf pound of -four (Which is
less than army rations) This would
make the daily consumption $50 1000
pounds-this multiplied by 1865, the
number OF days in year, would make
the yearly consumption of -four "a, 49,
600 pounds: divide this by 200, it being
lin round numbers) the pounds of flour
in barrel; gives 273, 730 the number of
barrels consumed. As has been shown
above tie price of each barrel of this
-four has been Rnjustly enhanced 81 to
all cons umers in Oregon. The sum
thus unjustly taken by the trust from
the people amounts to the sum of $273,-
$780,"
In order to compare the condition of
the farmer and consumer of Utah with
the same classes of Oregon, as affected
by the monopolists' trust, will refer
to quotations in this city of prices of
wheat and -four, and draw conclusions
therefrom.
In THE HERALD of December 14th
inst, I find that Sears & Liddle quote
wheat at from 80 to IS cents per bushel,
(buying rate) at wholesale. And in the
same issue l see that e. E. Rich quotes
flour at So 25 (for ninety-eight pound
sack presume.)
Now, it the figures and estimates of
the Oregon farmer are correct, which l
have no reason to doubt, we can arrive
at pretty accurate conclusion of the
profits of the trust which deals in wheat
and flour, by adding to the cost of
manufacturing -four the difference be-
tween the prices of wheat-62 and IS
cents.
In such case the following would be
the probable result in Salt Lake:
AZ bushels wheat "a s5c. ............ IS. 40
Toll, So y......,............... so
Sacks, say. 80
Total cost of one barrel, or two ninety
From the above amount deduct for
bran and shorts, say 80 cents, leaves the
actual cost Ito the trust) of one barrel
OF -four at So 40 or 81. 70 for a 98-pound
sack, which according to the Salt Lake
quotation would cost the consumer.
$3.50, from which amount by deduct
ing the cost, $4.20, leaves a balance in
the hands of the trust of 81 80.
AlIowipg for commission. 30 cents
leaves net profit OF So on Az bushels
of wheat. Now, I ask the consumers
of -four, and also tie farmer who raises
wheat, is it not your duty as well as to
your interest to "sit down" pretty hard
on the -four trust2
Cannot the farmer see that this trust
is his most inveterate enemy, for while
for a short time, in order to afford an
axcUSa fOr raising the OfiOo of f1Our IL