The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-12-11

Shipped to ENGLAND and Then Reshipped
to the Tn ted states
Some interesting statistics concerning
the hop crop and consumption are con-
tanned in the following lester from James
Hart, of Auburn:
To THE EDITOR: In the publication of
last week OF the Auburn Argus and in the
hop report column | md Attention
called to a strange fact, and from G care
full perusai of that article l ind that it SEES
forth that United States hops, after being
sent TO London, are being again bought
and reshipped to the United States. and
ind it is admitted in the few last words of
the article, growers do not clearly under
stand"
If our growers would only keep them
selves well posted I believe they would
prove TO their satisfaction three important
facts: First-That the total yield of hops
this (lS95) season throughout the world is
very greatly short Second-That the
quantity raised is not equal to the guam
tity used last year. Third-That the
prices paid here for hops this season up to
the present time is not nearly the price
that the short crop would reasonably de-
msnd. nor near what would have been
paid for it if the New York prices Qess
freight must be taken as standard.
l wall be as brief as possible in stating
what believe TO be indisputable iacts, for
my authorities are practically beyond the
reach OF objectors.
From the report OF the statistician of
The department of agriculture of the
United States, just published, l find the
total crop OF the world is estimated a.
las. Zoo, 900 pounds. of which the United
States yields 10000, zoo, which is 2lo.526
bales OF 1870 pounds each. Many readers
will rememo Der that my estimate given in
the Seattle papers three months ago gave
it as 2l5, 900 ba es and that IL was severely
criticized ami ridiculed by some interested
persons, and yet IL appears that ii was
about 4, 500 bales too high. That estimate
was based upon $4,000 ba es tor New York
state, and 100 600 bales for the Pacific
siope. The estimate of hops used is nea ly
2OO,ooo,o0o pounds, leaving deficiency of
6l000,0o0 pounds, or about 3I5, 900 bales of
1870 pounds each, if the consumption is not
any more than last year. and tor several
years that has had steady growth.
According 10 the best German authority
that country has only raised - 100000
pounds in 1893 against 100000 pounds IN
lss2. So that 1t is simply FOLLY to expect
any hops from there.
The natural consequence of this has
given great demand In the United States
Tor hops Tor export, for ho. d in my hand
letter from Germany asking for samples
of Tn ted States hops and prices, as they
are in the market to buy.
During the month of September last
nearly Zoo, 900 pounds of hops were ex-
ported 10 London OF the value Of $245, 900,
against 80 900 in 1892 of the value of s., 500,
or 500 bales in September, 1898, against
206 bales in September, 1892 ami with q
va.ue in 1898 OF Is l-6 cents per pound.
against 22iz cents per pound in 1892
The consumption in England in 1892
required about 40, 900 bales Of 100 pounds
each. OF this quantity about 235 600 bales
were grown there and the balance was inn
ported. of which the United States sup
piled co. 900 bales. and the great proper
ton OF the balance was obtained from
Germany.
The quantity of hops used in the United
States III 1S92 vas about 2 { 900 bales, and
If We have and will export $3.50 bales this
year. being nearly the same as last year.
that only leaves 40, 600 bales at home, be-
ing IS 900 bales short Hence the reason
chases in London of United States hops
although they are compelled to pay an
extra freight and Is cents per pound duty
on them. which the Democratic party de-
sire TO reduce TO cents. Yet when You
sell them here they are bought at Is to IL
cents, white in New York the price today
for choice is Il to 3 cents 1.-THE freight Is
only cents per poundl Way this differ
ence2 Because the buyers have q grip
upon q large proportion of hops here. and
your notes fall due. ard the only thing
that you can generally do is to deliver the
goods at their prices, and the growers that
are not tied UP cannot dispose of their
crop at An advanced price until the buyers
have starved out" nearly. if not quite,
three TO urths of the growers.