The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-09-17
A RICE DEALER SPEAKS.
Some Facts tor the Rice Planter to
Consider.

OOnS44cIs
Editor Morning Ne,os: In reading an
article On rice in the MORNING NEWS the
other day, note with interest the follow
ing lines: ''Thsre Is considerable complaint
among rice planters unat the savannah
market Is not satisfactory, and that pur-
chases are made from hand to mouth, some
brokers aud factors being bulls one day
and bears another day. These complaints
have become SO common that some planters
are threatening to send their rice TO other
markets il the Savannah market does not
improve very soon"
In answer TO the above l would state the
rlce.market in Savannah is equally as unsat-
isfactory to the dealers as il is TO the plant
ers, and as long as the planter intends to fill
the role OF planter, exporter and speculd-
tor, cannot see how there
can be a change in affairs. If
our planters could learn to sell their pro-
duct on the principle that nothing is worth
more than it will bring" | do not think
they would have cause to make the above
complaint, huU instead of doing 50 they put
their price on what they have, and II New
Orleans or Charleston is three-quarters
cheaper it makes no difference to them.
The market must ADVANCE" but it does
not. and rice being an article that won'G
keep, the day arrives when it begins TO turn,
or get weevly and wormy. This means one
cent off from the market price If it
were In a sound condition, to say
nothing of the expenses Of additional insur-
auce, interest. storage and shrinkage, for
rice will shrink from TO s per cent.
between the months of December and July.
Now, in the face of these risks, with q
greater chance for lower instead of bet
ter market, our pla tiers will mill and carry
so much rice that the mills have often been
compelled to shut down in the middle of the
season for want of storage room. Again the
planter does not realize that it is live aud
let live" business between himself and
the dealers, and will instruct his
factor to send samples all over the country,
and conslgn whore he can get the best ad-
vices is this done because he cannot get
fair prices here? II the dealers in the rico
business make such large profits, they GER
tainly do not display their wealth. This
method of business practiced by the plant
| ers certainly is encouraging to large houses
| to establish branch houses here. The larg-
est rice house in this country who does
| business in every principal market except
Savannah has on two occasions tried to
| establish itself here, but was unsuccessful,
owing to the above-named causes, yet the
| planters complain of poor market. II
| they intend to "kill the goose that lays the
| golden egg" what else can they expectl
No, there is as much enterprise in the rice
dealers in Savannah as anywhere, if put on
an equal footing and when the planter de
| cides to market his crop as soon as possible
and take what he can get for it when
milled, he will find himself better off and
| Savannah a better market. 1t is bad
enough for the home markets to
allow foreign rice to come into
this country paying duty of "a cents per
pound, but Savannah allows New Orleans
| to sell thousands of barrels yearly in this
city, and for her dealers to accomplish this
| there has TO be difference OF fiVe-eighths
| between the markets, for if she does not
| sell one-eighth cheaper than we do the
| jObbers will give home rice the preference.
| Now, will the planters please explain how
| they expect US to compete with New
| Orleans, with this difference in price, when
New Orleans has the advantage in freight
rates to nearly all points except on the
| Atlantic coast.
To the planters l would say, in conclu-
sion, if they cannot meet competition face
| to face, the sooner they find another voca-
| ton the better off they will be. The day
| has long passed when a storm or freshet on
the Georgia or Carolina coast effects the
market: in fact, it has tendency to depre-
ciate values. for our rices then are more OF
less damaged and in an unsound condition
and will run irregularly, and this causes the
| jobbers to give the uniform and better
| grades of foreign the preference.
This summer the best quality of home
milled Japan was selling In New York at
4 5-l6 cents, and IN value 1t is worth as
much to the trade as we would elias:
"strctly good, u and you would have toisel
that grade at 3B to cents here for us tc
compete with foreign in the northern
markets.
l trust the planters will in future fully
realize their position and profit by their
costly experience Of last season.
| A RICE DEALER