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

The following communication calls
for comments, of course. And such
comments should be made solely for
getting at the truth. The matter is
one of extraordinary Importance to
the farmer of Minnesota. 1t involves
millions of dollars. If the editor of
this paper is correct, then at least
twenty million dollars are wrongful
ly taken from the laborers OF the
state. If we are wrong, then (while
the accusations are justified by the
enormous difference of so to SAC. be-
tween the farm and LiverpooD rep
aration is due the Millers of Mime
apolis.
Every newspaper writer knows how
difficult it is to answer points in a
long letter, at it's close, from the fact
that the mind OF the reader has been
taken away therefrom-so that the
sentences to be examined have to be
repeated, and repeated away from
connecting thoughts. With this diff
ficulty in view, and solely to save
space and maintain clearness, we
have taken the unusual liberty OF
placing the comments in the letter it.
self. If Mr.. Pillsbury were really a
foe to our interests, or intensely an
tagonistic, this liberty would not be
taken. But every man who knows
his history realizes the fact that any
thing he writes demands a just and
reasonable review, and not a cum
ming rejoinder. His criticisms are
made kindly, and his courtesy de-
mands civil consideration. We trust,
therefore, that he will pardon us for
reviewing his letter point by point:
('solid" matter is Mr.. Pillsbury's. the loaded
matter is editorial.)
ED. GREAT WEST:
Referring to the different articles in
your paper as to the profits made
or possible to be made in shipping
wheat from Minnesota to Liverpool,
do not think that you have made
yourself sufficiently clear to your
readers. I think they generally un-
derstand that you intend to state
that a farmer or any one else could
ship wheat to Liverpool and obtain
some % cts. per bushel more by so
doing, than he could by selling the
wheat at home. I must confess that
80 understood your article myself
until l carefully read it, and have re-
peatedly heard other people state
they understood it the same way,
but on reading carefully your issue
of the Dist. of March you state
wheat could be shipped from Crook
ston to Liverpool at % cts. per
- bushel profit if the farmer could Sc
cure just and fair treatment. Now
as a matter of actual fact, it does
not often happen that farmer, ele-
vator man or any one else can buy
wheat at CrookstOn or any other
part of Minnesota and ship to Liver
pool or any other European market,
and make profit by SO doing, and
there probably never was time nor
never will be, when there will be more
than two or three cents per bushel
profit in SO doing So keen is bust
ness competition and so anxious are
Duluth, Buffalo, New York and Eng
lish grain men to make even a small
commission, that it is practically i'm
possible that there should ever be
more than cent or two profit over
and above all expenses OF every kind
including, of course, interest, insur-
ance and kindred charges.
/ write this article to show your
readers that if the price paid for
wheat is not as much as it would ap.
pear to he worth, as compared with
prices in Europe, the fault is not gen
orally with the Minnesota wheat
buyers, but whatever faults exist, it
is from causes mainly beyond their
control, and for one would be glad
to cooperate in their removal.
This proposition is fair. We were
misunderstood. Some OF the press
misunderstood us purposely. Others
took the matter for granted. In no
place have we ever stated that wheat
could be shipped to Liverpool at a
profit of 29c. per bushel We did
say, five months ago, that the farm.
ers were robbed of Csc. per bushel
(No. 2 Spring quoted at U.s., 3d., at
LiverpooD and we repeat that today
placing the ''unrighteousness" at
20c., Liverpool market being much
lower. This is not an accusation
against any men-as we have often
said in public speech-but it is an ar
raignment of the system of the
commercial methods. By this sys