Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-07-03
FEATURES OF TRADE.
Nature Too Generous in Supply Of
Fruit and Vegetables.
THE CONSUMER HAS AN INNING.
Flour Trade No Longer in Buyers Favor
.--Prices Must Rise.
HOG PRODUCTS ARE MOVING SLOWLY
OFFICE OF PITTsBURG DISPATCH,
TUESDAY. July 2, 1889.

OFFICE OF PITTsBURG DIsPATcH,l
TUESDAY. July 2, 1859.
Garden Products.
The chief complaint of produce commits
sion men of last year was the great
abundance of stuff in all fruit and vegetable
lines. 1t seems that we are to have another
season OF abundance. If nature would be
less generous, both producer and dealer
would gather in more ducats, with smaller
expenditure of labor The consumer, how
ever, has no ground of complaint The pro-
ducer and dealers losses are gain 70 the
millions who, after all, are the parties most
interested.
A Liberty street commission merchant said
to-day: 1--WE are handling lots of stuff, but
getting very little for it. The trouble always is
in prolific seasons such as this is, that we have
to do a great deal of work and get very little
for it. The farmer and dealer are doing
the work, and consumers get the benent.
Take the one item of potatoes, which have been
coming in so freely from Tennessee the past
week. The freight charges on barrel are not
less than 65 to 20 cents. / the past few days
large Quantities have been dumped on the mar
ket and sold in car load lots on track at less
than s. per barrel. When the dealer gets ms ms
freight there is little left for the man in len
nessee who ploughed, planted, gathered ana
hauled the potatoes TO the nearest staIlon.
dozen other articles in fruit and vegetable lines.
The consumer is the only party who profits by
these seasons of abundance. Producer and
dealer are working more for glory than gain"
The Products.
One of our leading pork packers reports TO-
day concerning the provision trade for June:
NV advices from Chicago, which is head
center of this trade for the United States, and
in fact for the world. are that the reduction of
provision stock in June was very slight. In
ordinary years June is one of the big months
for trade in this line, and usually stock is very
much diminished by the transactions of that
moLth. The decline of stock uniformly stimu-
lates prices and the time is here when we have
a right to expect an advance in hog products.
But this season upsets all calculations. The al
most daily rain of June 10 doubt had an effect
in retarding trade, and a dry hot July will
make up for lost ground. But up to this time
our trade has been far from satisfactory. The
fact is the price of hogs has been too high all
this season TO afford any margin to packers.
The only salvation for the trade will be a de-
cided advance in hog products in the near
future. If this advance fails to show up, this
season will show little or no profit TO Pittsburg
packers. The Chicago pork packer has found
better pickings this season than is possible to
the Pittsburg packer"
Flour Trade.
The -four trade, which for a month or two
past was entirely in the buyers favor. has for
past week. and now the situation is decidedly
in favor of the seller. All of a sudden the
Minnesota mIllers have had their hackbones
stiffened and have become very independent in
their views. Two weeks ago the milers of
Minneapolis were diligently searching for Gus
toners and pressing stock on our jobbers. Now
they are waiting for customers to come TO
them. Fancy spring patents were offered in
carload lots, in wood, as low as s. so within the
past two weeks. To-day the same cannot be
laid down here under Sc 05. Our whole
sale grocers have not changed prices, but
will be forced to do SO as soon as their
present supplies are exhausted. Said one of
our leading -four jobbers: "Pittsburg markets
are among the very worst in the country.
When prices are low we are forced to take the
lowest figures. But when there is an upward
movement we fail to reap the benefit of it, as
there are so many dealers here ready to un.
load ~ very small profits.
''In Chicago and New York prices 90 up or
down at once on quotations from stock board.
But here in PittsbHrg, while we suffer from
every decline, we fail to reap any benefit from
an advance by reason of the sharp competition
among our dealers. Flour to-day is sold by
Wholesale grocers at lower figures than stock
can be laid down at, and it is only question of
time when prices OF -four must advance"