The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-09
TWO FIRMS FIGHT BACK,
Determined to Give the People
Cheap Bread Despite
the Combine.
DRIVING OUT COMPETITION.
The Boycott Declared in Order to
Keep the Oregon Product Out
of the Market.

STOCKTON, CAL, June Sit is curious
and interesting fact that while this city is
the headquarters of the flour milling in
dustry in California, it is the scene of a
very lively battle for the control of the
local market in that line. What is bet
ter known as the Flour Combine" has
a desperate fight on hand at its own doors
with the Oregon millers. Thousands of
sacks of the powdered staple are landed
here every day by the steamers of the
Union Transportation Company, while, on
the other hand, large consignments leave
here regularly for shipment to China and
Central America.
The origin of the movement to introduce
Oregon -four into the very citadel of the
California -four kings is due to the spirit
of retaliation alone. Some time ago the
millers' ring in Stockton undertook the
scheme of driving Oregon flour out of the
Oregon home market. In self-defense the
Oregonians concluded to see what they
could accomplish in the way of selling
their -four in Stockton.
By means of making a big cut in prices
they soon succeeded in creating quite de-
mand for their product among the local
merchants. While the price for the local
product was So 10 a barrel, the Webfoot
-four found quick and ready sales at 50 CO.
Alarmed at the inroads. made upon the
business, the flour combine in Stockton at
first appealed through various sources to
the people to stand by their great home
industry. They argued that inasmuch as
they employed large number of men who
supported families in Stockton out of their
W no Ant, 0f all
Stocktonians to consume only Stockton
made -four. The Oregon article to their
dismay however, continued to pour in.
The difference in price was too tempting to
the majority of economical housekeepers
to induce them to pay more than they
they ought to pay for the privilege of max
ing their own bread. They turned deaf
ear to the cries of the emissaries of the big
mills on the channel, and as they ordered
their grocers to send them the Oregon
flour, they hummed from Longfellow's
'Wayside Inn" the well-known couplet:
For if the -four be fresh and sound,
Who careth in what mill twas ground?
Finding that moral suasion was no
longer available to check the growing
trade of their rivals upon their own terri
tory, the millmen in the combine pro-
ceeded to adopt stringent methods. They
conceived the idea of applying boycott
to all local merchants presuming to handle
Oregon flour. Accordingly a paper has
been prepared containing an agreement
STIMULATING that after a given date the
signers bind themselves not to sell the
imported article. The penalty of its vio-
lation is that not a pound of Stockton
flour shall ever be sold to any local dealer.
All but two OF the merchants have been
dragooned into signing the offensive COM
pact. One of them, who has been fighting
the ring for some months past, having
among his customers some people who
preferred California -four, and, finding
every mill closed to him here. had to
send to Sacramento for carload. A few
days ago he ordered out of MS store a rep
resentative of the Sperry mills, who had
called upon him and menaced him with
the consequences of mourning his wrath
The other merchant, who does a large
business with the farmers and townspeople,
is also resolute in his purpose to defy the
boycott which is about to be placed on
him by the big mills here
The consumers of -four in Stockton are
well acquainted with the situation.
They know of no reason why they should
not be furnished with -four as cheaply as
the people of either San Francisco or Oak
land. In these two cities, where the "hour
combine" has to encounter the oppo-
sition of the Oregon mills, the price is
81 90 barrel, where, as before stated, the
Stockton mills charge local dealers So 10.
The latter figure is the standing quotation
in San Francisco, but a discount of 60
cents a barrel is allowed the dealers
there, reduction that is not made here.
Another source of complaint on the
part OF the local merchants in Stockton is
the practice of the millers here in doing
retail business with the farmers. They saw
that they make special discount to that
class, whom they contrive to hoodwink in
many ways.
The farmers are strenuously urged to use
Stockton-made -four, because the home
mills are represented to be always ready to
pay them the highest prices for their
wheat. As matter of fact, the mills here
are buyers in theopen market at the low
est price they can obtain. 1t is known
that they grind up a considerable quantity
OF wheat raised in the Sacramento Valley
for which they pay only the lowest figure,
and that they have also drawn upon the
accumulated stock of wheat stored in the
Port Costa warehouses; One of the lead
ing wheat-raisers in this vicinity says that
with -four at So 10 barrel the farmer is
legitimately entitled to 81 10 hundred for
his wheat.
While protesting the greatest sympathy
with the horny-handed grangers here
a ra1Q yuit
only Stockton-made -four, the members of
the distracted flour combine" do not
hesitate to seek the cheapest market them
selves when they are hunting the grain.
THE CORRAL HOLLOW Road.
Definite Propositions Submitted to Stock.
TON People by Its Protectors.
STOCKTON, CAL, June ga commit