The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-04-11

twenty million dollars on the crop of
the three states You have already
charged for cleaning" In paragraph
before and certainly two cents per
bushel agent's commission at Duluth,
is remarkable. We have rates quoted
us at \ of one cent per bushel, and
that certainly seems outrageous. A
car will average say 600 bushels
$3.50 allowed). You would pay $12.-
90 on that car land oil the SWITCH
ing and inspection, ETC., besides
Well, now we think that &c., or $500
is just three times too large.]
Now at the date you compare the
prices between Crookston and Liver
pool, you give as the rate OF freight
from Duluth to New York 8 cts. per
bushel. At that time the least price
at which wheat could be shipped
from Duluth to New York was 19H
cts. per bushel, or more than double
the amount you name. At the open
ing OF navigation, the rate might
possibly but probably would not be
as low as you figure, but when that
time comes and freights can be OBJ
tanned, say at 8 cts. per bushel Du-
luth to New York, via lake and Erie
Canal, then the difference in prices
between Crookston or Duluth and
Liverpool is bound by the very laws
of trade to be less than when the
freight is 19h cts.
THE trouble is the claws of trade
don't get bind' on the wheat traf-
fic. Our figures on the shipment OF
wheat to New York &c. are correct.
We will allow no dispute ON that
point. Our grain is shipped by lake
and canal for export-and we have
the ratesfor every month in the open
year for several years, published by
authority of the state of New York.
We also have last years contracts.
The 19Ac. rate is an all rail. Mr..
Pillsbury is now shipping 1OOfb OF
-four from Minneapolis clear to Liv-
erpool, all rail to seaboard, for less
than 41c. per cwt. If not, we can aid
him in getting that figure on his next
"drift."1
Suppose we say the wheat is to be
held until the opening of navigation,
and then shipped to Liverpool
The price of this grade of wheat
in Liverpool has not been as
high for future delivery as it has
been for spot wheat, and it would
have to be held until opening of
navigation at cost of several cents
a bushel for interest, elevator charges
and insurance Then again your
readers must not overlook the fact,
if the wheat is to be shipped by lake
and Erie canal, that this is a slow
and tedious route; that the shipper
must have interest on his money all
the time the wheat is in transit to
New York; that he must pay insur-
ance on the lakes from Duluth to
Buffalo; elevator charges or cost of
transferring from the lake steam
boats to canal boats; then he must
pay insurance while the wheat is on
the Erie canal. When the wheat gets
to New York, it has to be taxed for
the cost of elevating from the canal
boats to ocean steamer, for the cost
of being towed in New York Harbor
to the ocean steamships, and also
for demurrage or delay while it is be-
ing held in the canal boats awaiting
it's chance to be unloaded on ocean
steamers. and this is often a consid-
cradle item of expense.
The hold-Over of four to five
months don't count. The wheat
market jumps from January to May
Except for scalpers) and the May
price is always 2 to 3h cents above
December, etc. And the differences
might be termed very cute pro-
vision for storage. An elevator stor-
ing 100000 bushels can deliver
in May for $4,000 more cash in
May than in December or January.
Much of the above is true-though
the expense per bushel for insuring,
ETC., $4,000 bushels vessel load) is
not enormous. The delay in freight
age cuts no figure of moment. Mr..
Pillsbury sells on New York in five
minutes, and delivers where and
I when he pleases.]
Now we have the wheat on board
the ocean steamships. Then comes
ocean insurance and freight to Liver
pool. You allowed in your article
4 cts. for this last item and nothing
for insurance. Now at that time
when you made the comparison in
prices the ocean Freight on wheat