The Lake Charles echo., 1894-05-25
gFN oRTEANs Eg. IAkE gHAREEg.

i MIN HKtkAAb fS LAhi GitAblIES,
Ia another column will be found
communication from Mr.. Gnstaye A.
Jahn, in which he thoroughly vindieates
himself from the aspersians that have
been attempted By certain parties, more
particularly the ring or cliqne at Nov
Orleans that would control the rice mar
l1et, not only there hut elsewhere.
Some of our readers at least have not
forgotten the attitude of this same rice
ring when Mr. jain first made his prop
Eosition to build mill at Lake Charles
which should eclipse all other mills in.
the soFith 1T will be remembered that
both the Times Democrat and the PieayaBo
contained lalsOred articles attempting to
proye that a rice mill located at any
other place than New Orleans must
necessarily be a failure.
The following extract from anoditarial
in the TiBtes-Democrat, dated Aug, 9th,
1892, is specimen:
''Sinee it has become apparent that
the present rice crop Of Louisiana viii
probably be twice as large as any previ-
eHs crop, number of persons who are
enTi0us of the fact that this city handles
practically the entire rice product Of the
state, have been endeavoring to persuade
the rice planters that New Orleans is not
equipped with sufficient milling capacity
to handle to coming crop, that the rice
trade here has entered into an arrang-
ment to control prices to the detriment
of the planters, and that the producers
are being charged excessive rates for
milling and handling their product.
The planters are therefore advised to
encourage the construction of rice mills
elsewhere and to seek other outlets than
New Orleans for their prOducts."
Then follows a labored argument to
prove that new Orleans must always be
the only rice market of this state and
that the farmer who invests dollar in a
rice mill outside of the Crescent city is
certain to lose it, This it will be TeIneul-
beTed was just at the time that the Lake
Charles mill was being projected and
this and similar ntterances were intended
t0 throw cold water Oh the enterprise.
The ring did not want the Lake Charles
mill built and looks npon it today as its
most successful rival, Circumstances,
such as the exceedingly low price of rice
tie money crisis etc, have had d tel
dency to create a prejudice to Il certain
extent against the Lake Charles mill,
which is entirely Unjust We do not
believe we are wide Of the mark when
when We say that the building and
operating Of the Lake Charles mill has
added from % to 80 cents per barrel Oh
every barrel of rice raised in Calcasleu
parish and even in the adjoining parishes
Of Acadia and Nermilion. la proof of
this proposition is the fact that i'll addi-
tion 10 other methods employed to ell
barrass and cripple the Lake Charles
mill, when the rice season commences in
the fall, the country tributary To Lake
Lake Charles is filled with rice buyers
from New Orleans. and others soliciting
EeonsIgnments and from p to 80 cents per
barrel is offered over and above the price
offered for the same grade of rice one
hundred miles nearer New Orleans. Now
We do not object to this. and oil the con
trary VIC are glad to congratulate the
| planters OF Caleasieu and the adjoining
parishes Oh their good luck and we hope
this same sharp competition will con
4 tinue but we would have them .remem-
Der that for this they are indebted to the
Lake Charles Rice Milling Company
which was organized by MIR. G. A. jain.
who provided $3.50, 900 Of the 100000
capital invested. Now the idea that Mr..
JahD's interests arc antagonistic to those
4 Of the rice planter is simply absurd,
This mill, the largest and best equipped
/ in the county, would not be worth ten
cents Oh the dollar if it had to depend on
foreign rice TO supply it with work. 1t
was bniit with the sole view and oper-
atcd for the purpose of manufacturing
the rice raised in this country and it's
success depends entirely upon the pros
perity Of the planters of Southwest Lou
isiana. Mir Jahn would not he SO idiotic
as to build here the largest mill in the
country and then ask for legislation
which would deprive it Of its means of
| sastenance.
III the matter of a duty OH rice This
is one Of the few agricultural products
than ean be benefited by an import duty
and the duty should be sufficient OH the
finished pT0tinet To enable our milIers 10
! compete with the Germans and the duty
on rough rice would seem to he sufficient
when il prevents the shipment of that
article here at a price that would he
injurious TO the Louisiana or South Car
olina rice grower. Mr.. Jahn in his com
munieation has fully explained this
matter and it is unnecessary that we
pursue the subject