The morning call., 1893-12-10
THE COFFEE CROP.
Below the Average, With
High Prices Ruling.
How This City Can Control the Great
Trade of the Central American
Republics.

The first shipment of this seasons
coffee crop arrived per steamship Colima
few days ago, and another small
shipment came to hand the noxt
day per the North American Navigation
Company's steamer Saturn. In conse-
uuence of the heavy rains which have pre-
vailed in the coffee districts of Guatemala
and indeed throughout the cOffee-grOwing
zone of Central America, the crop this
year will be below the average. The
ordinary import at San Francisco is about
10000 bags The beans begin to mature
and are ready for picking usually in No
vember, and continue ripening. according
to the location of the plantation and regu-
lated to some extent by local conditions.
until March of the ensuing year. The
heavy rainfall this season, however,
caused the beans to ripen 80 quickly that,
facilities not being adequate, the crop
gathered will as already stated fall below
the average
7 Last year European buyers paid high
prices and diverted much of the crop from
the United States to the Continental
countries Partly oil this account the
stocks held on hand here are low, and
present prices of % to 2271s cents for prime
shipment of coffee has been met are likely
to be top figures. Any advance will prob
ably cause buyers to turn to Java
and Mocha rather than make further
advance IN price.
j. F. Biyen of the firm of Oliver & Co.,
the large Central American merchants,
spoke interestingly 10 CALL reporter
yesterday as TO the reason why this city
does not handle more of the business of
coffee. which is the staple product of these
southern countries.
ut is the merest truism," began Mr.
Biven. ito say that we are handicapped
i'll California by not manufacturing the
| goods in demand in Central America.
But this drawback is not great enough to
| prevent a very large and profitable trade
| being developed. The North American
! Navigation Company has promised, dur
| Ing the time required to handle TO coffee
! crop, to make lis sailing dates to and from
| the various ports from which coffee ship
ments are made regular. This. with mod
crate freight rates, will prove drawing
! card TO the planters But there is one
thing more needed, and if l had a hundred
! tongues L would insist over and over
| again that II we are to compete with Eng
| land, France and Germany for the Central
American trade. we must give them what
they want and not try to force upon them
| what we ourselves choose"
But labor being such drug in Europe,
Is II possible that the United States can
meet the low prices of the Old World 2"
ventured to inquire The CALL man.
THAT doesn't cut any figure" replied
! Mr.. Biven. Let me give an illustration
of what mean. Collins 81 Co. are, be-
! lieve. the largest manufacturers of ak
heads and machetes. The latter, as you
perhaps know, is long, heavy knife used
| in all tropical countries. Now. a Collins
| m hpf a SHil m ira for Z IN
to So, and every pedrone or well-to-do man
will wear such one. The vast multitude.
however. get from the European houses
an equally useful machete for four bits. 1t
is not TO be compared with the American
make, but 1t answers every requirement.
and is in demand. Collins factory has,
hear, been working short time lately, while
| Il they turned out some millions of these
knives alone every one would find ready
sale.
1.-THE same thing may be said of all our
| manufactured products. England manu-
lectures her calleoes, domestic and other
Manchester goods with patterns, sizings
| ETC., demanded by the people to whom
they are being sent. They are strongly
packed in small bales, convenient for
TRANSFORMATION aud every attention is paid
| to detail. Americans, on the other hand,
too often ship goods on the mere chance of
selling. and pack in the most ordinary
fashion. altogether unfit to stand rough
| handling or be transported, as goods often
have to be. on mule back.
In this connection, too, may say that
sewing machines. for which there is a
fairly steady demand in Central America,
can be delivered there for about SIS less
| than the machine can be bought in San
francisco. Much might be said as to the
splendid market afforded for California
wines. At present well-to-do planters buy
in Europe very largely and this ought not
to be. The trade of the central republics,
at least on the Pacific seaboard, belongs to
us, and instead of their buying simply
goods which may be covered by the term
! notions, this ought to be and even tually
Will be the distributing point for the i'm
meGse regions lying TO the south of this
| country"