The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-09-15
TO HOLD THE GRAIN.
Minnesota Alliance Leaders
Advise the Farmers.
PRICES MAY GO MUCH HIGHER.
The Anti-sub-Treasury and Anti Third
rarity Convention of Sane Members OF
the Alliance Promises Big Success.

ST. PAUL, Sept 14-"Faets Worth Money is
the heading of q circular in relation to the
wheat question now being sent out by the State
the Alliance organ, of this city Il urges farm
ers to hold back their wheat, as better prices
await them in the next few weeks The asser-
ton Is made that wheat will be $50 soon and
possibly s., review OF the European shortage
being made the basis of this claim. George ~
Miller, editor of the State, in speaking of this
new address to the farmers, says:
We stu believe large amount of grain will
De hsld back; that the rush Is practically over
our adriees from thousands of correspondents
are to this effect. These early sales were by
those distressed for money and those not con-
nected with the Alliance
Ils circular says the farmer needs honest ad-
vtsers; he has now too many of the other kind.
IL sharply raps the elevator men and mil
lers, gram dealers and SPECTATORS, and
those newspaper men who go to
them for their Information about the
condition OF the market and lay il as valuable
truth before the public. Two months ago all
these advisers predicted low prices on account
oil the enormous crops OF the United states, and
advised farmers to sell soon they had a
chance. They admit now, says the circular,
that the question has been thoroughly venti-
lated; that an immense shortage exists in
Europe. which no surplus of our country can Off
set, but stills they try to tempt farmers into
sacrificing their crops by different tricks. The
press, for instance, Is OVERLOOKING with articles
congratulating the farmers on the immense
crops. These articles are suspicious, for, says
the circular, we hope few newspaper men are so
ignorant that they do not know that q large crop
Is OF itself no ground for congratu atoms. 1t is
the value of the crop, and this does not depend
on its size.
The newspapers now, 10 says, enlighten the
farmers that Europe will need what they have
raised, and more, but that they cannot buy it at
i'm rae..a II.
figures OF the Vienna congress show that Europe
has raised 25s0oo,0O0 bushels of wheat and $780,
OOo,00 bushels of rye less than last year. Last
year IL consumed all its own
wheat and 50,0o0,00o bushels of re-
serves, 100,0000O0 bushels from America
all that other countries could supply, and all its
own rye crop. This year it will have from
America 220,o00,O 600 bushels. II the extreme fig
ures on our crop is taken, It will have an aggre-
gate shortage of 79s 100000 bushels in its own
crop, and 5o,0o0000 less to be drawn from the
reserve. In short, ii will have 220.000,o0o bush
els from America to make up total deficiency
OF 79s,000,000 bushels, and must consequently
eat SIS 900, 600 bushels less of grain IL being ad
mitted that the shortage in European crops is
by far the worst ever known in history,
IL would be natural for Europeans to expect
high prices. The socalled advisers of the Amer
lean farmer tell him that 81 per bushel in Chi
cago is about the highest the Europeans will
stand, and that they would rather eat other
things than pay more for wheat. This assertion
is ridiculous The average price for wheat for
the past thirty-two years in England
on a gold basis was $1.4l per bushel,
which corresponds with s1.21 in
Chicago. During the eight highest years of the
period the average was sl-77s4, equal to $l07s4
in Chicago. During ls676S the average was
sl.95. and prices went as high as $221, equal to
more than s. in Chicago. These high prices
did not, as far as the recollection of the writer
goes, change the diet of Europeans TO any great
extent, the shortage in Europe being four times as
great as the American surplus. There is no doubt
that the price of wheat will reach the highest
ever known before this year is up and will
exceed it by far before the new crops come in.
The talk that 81 for wheat in Chicago is high
under the present circumstances is absolutely
ridiculous. OF course, il the farmer should
insist on offering more wheat than there 10
money to buy with they could keep prices
down a little. But the warning came in
good season to spring wheat farmers and
they will hold back better than spectators ex-
pected. There never was any good reason for
having the wheat price so low as il is today
Those who are forced by absolute necessity to
sell or who are too idiotie to understand the sit
uation not numerous that their action
can keep down prices any length of time, and as
soon as the fools out of the market the intel
lgent farmers will get prices adequate to cir
cumstances