Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1894-11-16
LOWER + ARM / I ]. PRICE !: ].

LOWER /, FARM ]. \ R N PRICES ,: l(
3ABANDo hMEhT OF RE- IPRo cITY: RE-
DucEs EXPORTS OF FLOUR. !.
The Millers OF st. Louis Show Their loss
III Of Trade with Cuba-Built Up BY Reci-
prooity. It il Now Entirely Destroyed.
Idle Mills o. . Menument to Democracy.
Down with reciprocity is 8 great cry
Of the free trader because reciprocity
has extended the market for our farm
products. The FREQ trader might just as
we'll be brutally honest and cry, "Down
with the American farmer!' for that is
what he really means, az the following
correspondence shows: @i>sa.,
Answering your inquiry. would say that
from the most careful inquiry Of manufac-
turers, shippers and others, and from the most
reliable statistics ,obtainabla, It Is estimated
that for the 10 months previous to the abroga.
ton Of the reciprocity treaty with Cuba and
other spanish- American countries there were
shipped from America about 8, 2tQ 600 barrels
Of -four, say equivalent to Is 900 bushels Of
W0o6Vs anu bExaU A1tV10 AsVNOSONV VOL
rels Of this -four went from St. Louis and mills
tributary to st. Louis and largely controlled
by St. Louis merchants and manufacturers.
Under the reciprocity treaty the duty into
the Cuban markets was about 90 cents per bar
rel on flour. Since the abrogation Of the
treaty it Is little over IS per barrel, and since
the passage Of the German bill there has been
no business in -four between this section Of tho
country and Cuba. And since the abrogation
Of this treaty there has been no corn shipped
from this market TO- these countries because
the duty Is now placed at about 81 cents per
bushel, whereas before there was annually
shipped from this market and immediate
neighborhood about 100000 bushels, besides
large quantities Of OATS bran and baled hay.
And this business, am now informed. ts en-
tirely abandoned.
A good many Of the Touring mills Of this
section of the country are now standing idle
from the loss Of this trade and from other
E. o. srANARD.
President e. b. stanard Milling Company.
St. Louis.
Inclosed we hand you q communication from
the Kaufman Milling company which you can
depend upon as being reliable, as they are In
possession Of data which justify them in Civ
ing expression to the facts contained in their
communication.
In talking with another st. Louis miller he
states the st. Louis millers proper have fur
nished about 900 barrels for this Cuban re-
quirement alone, to say nothing OF the South
American furnishings The miller just inter
viewed says his firm alone have been shipping
81, 600 sacks per year, or in that RATIO SO you
will see q very large outlet for breadstuffs has
been entirely cut off and shut out from this
South American and Cuban trade, much to
their dissatisfaction and discomfort. Respect
fully, STEPHAN A. bEM1s'
Bemis Bro. Bag Company.
~ ST. LOUIS.
Mr.. S. A. Bemis, City:
DEAR S1R-Answering your favor, would say
we are able to give you some reliable informa-
ton in reference to this matter and we are
not ashamed to append our signature to tho
paper. Our agent, Mr.. Pahlke OF Havana. Is
now in tho Office, and on questioning him we
ascertain that in round numbers the amount
OF flour consumed On the island Of Cuba would
be about ,00O, 900 bags per annum. The popu-
,lation of the island is about !, SOC, 900. As we
figure about 200 pounds Of -four per capita for
consumption in America, the question arises
Why should they not use l, 0,0OO bags instead
of 100000 bags to their population This
brought out the information that the laboring
classes, previous to the reciprocity treaty with
America, consumed almost exclusively rice,
potatoes and South American sun dried meat.
called tassago and that only the owners Of plan
tations and the better classes who were able
to pay the higher prices for flour demanded by
Spain were consumers Of flour products. So
that the estimate Of the consumption OF Hour
in the island Of Cuba prior to the reciprocity
relations established with the United States
would probably not be much over 400, 600 bags
from all sources. This indicates that under
the reduced prices the consumption OF bread
stuffs in the island was largely increased, but
now again under the retaliation duties the
price Of -four has been so enhanced that the
prospects are that consumption Will again fall
to nearly the same level as prevailed before
the reciprocity treaty went Into eject. Owing
10 the position Of st. Louis In the Mississippi
valley the bulk Of American -four going to Cuba
was shipped from this section, and the mills
have felt the loss Of this trade to the extent
that many Of them have been compelled to
shut down entirely or 60 on half time and seek
other outlets. What is said Of the island OF
Cuba may also be said, in q lesser degree, OF
the island Of Porto Rico and other countries
affected by the abrogation Of the reciprocity
treaties Respectfully FEE. kaufman,
Vice President Kaufman Milling Company.
The foregoing correspondence shows
very clearly how tariff reform and free
trade affect the farmer by checking the
demand for American farm products,
thus adding to the surplus supply and
further cheapening the value on the
farm. At the same time the farmer has
to pay more money for the sugar that he
receives from Cuba.
In confirmation Of the foregoing state
nent we quote the following from The
Northwestern Miller: ''The flour mar
ket was more inactive last week. Sales
appropriated 1901 barrels. There
was an appreciable decline in export;
export shipments, 46,110 barrels,
against AZ, $50 previous week, So, 900 in
1898 and SO, $40 in 1892"
Work For All In England.
But it is the chemical trade which
will benefit mostly from the new tariff,
,p1 n conr;Ioroh1a rovivo1 therein ia