Omaha daily bee., 1896-05-31
CONDITION OF ONAHA'S TRADE
Jobbers Report a Very Fair Movement OF
Merchandise,
VALUES REMAIN VERY LOW on ALL PRODUCE
western Corn Cribbers VIII Lose
PLENTY Of Money Trying TO FOLLOW
PInn-Chicngo figure
DO Nebraska nm Injustice.

A critical survey Of the local business stu
alton would fail TO bring to light any Ner!
important changes within the past week OF
ten days. In al, departments the volume OF
trade has remained about stationary ana
new features Of imp rtancc have not oeeh
developed. The jobbing trade of the city
may be said, upon the whole, to be i'll a very
healthy condition and fairly satisfactory in
every respect, with the single exception that
the volume of merchandise moving Is not
40 large as many would like to sec. The
consuming power Of the people Is sun small
owing to the scarcity of money, ana WhlIe
the present low prices for leading farm prou-
ucts continue there can be little chahse lot
the better. ,,
II is also the time of year when a .isht
trade is to be expected in a good many ilnes.
with an abundance of garden vegetables ana
plenty of fruit In prospect, the country VIII
not buy literally of such articles as canned
goods, dried fruits, etc. o,
Collections are slow, but no more So i"
they have been for some time.
CHICAGO STATISTICS.
Some one has observed that there are three
classes of enessui o.
which the average Nebraskan can appreciate
after glancing over some figures mat are DC.
Ing sent out from Chicago. The sample AT
hand is in the form of n folder. representing
a map of the United States. within the Or.
ders of each state are printed a column OF
figures showing its standing as compared
with other states in the matter OF farm pr9u-
ucts. The map as Il whole Is very INSTRUCTIVE
and is designed to show the resources OF the
territory tributary to Chicago, and VIII no
doubt find Il place on the walls OF a great
many offices in all sections OF the country;
The Chicago statistiCian fails to state the
source of his figures, but 1t is very evident
that they were based upon the crop reports
of 1894 the year of the drouth in Nebraska,
and that is where the Misrepresentation as
regards this state comes in. While the ftg-
ures are probably a fair statement as to the
- 49, ,,-n, tIo,. ii IL Glyu n
great injustice, as there Is nothing to show
but what they are averages covering a num-
Der of years. This state is rsepresented as
ing states, when as a matter of fact there
were only four states last year that pro
duccd more corn than Nebraska, namely,
Iowa, Illinois, Kansas and Missouri. In 1883
this state was ahead of Kansas in the yield
of corn and in 1892 ahead If Missouri. The
same Misrepresentation occurs throughout
the whole list of farm crops.
CORN IN CRIBS.
All over the corn-growing belt there are
scattered cribs within which are stored hun,
dreds of thousands of bushels of corn and
not a little good Omaha money has been
put to that purpose during, the past year.
ably larger than it has been any time since
1891, and as the season advances and prices
remain low. while there is every prospect
who have their money tied up are by no
means resting ON easy seat; Cribbing corn
as a rule is a very unprohtable business, ac-
cording to the statement of ii. c. Miller, a
local grain man, for any one except regular
grain dealers to engage in The past year
Kansas and Missouri cribbed corn simply
because Mr.. Armour was doing. so Those
who had never cribbed corn took 1t for
granted that If Mr.. Armour thought there
was money in 1t there certainly, must be, and
followed him as fast as their limited means
would permit. .
The farmers reaped a substantial benefit
as a result OF the craze, selling their corn
bushel more than 1t would nave brought
in any other market in the United States.
sold a future option against his cash pur-
chases, and then bought, In the, future OPP
lions on declines, repeating this process
several times, the opportunities to do SC
of the market. This plan of operating has
materially reduced the cost of Mr.. Armour's
corn, while the great bulk of the %cribbers,
having bought their corn for an investment,
did not protect 1t by a sale and still lave
1t on hand, and, barring some calamity to
the growing crop, will certainly lose money
on the investment.
Scarcely any OF the cribbed corn in the
Missouri valley has as yet been moved, and
the quantity in cribs and In farmers hands
is of such great proportions that If this
seasons GrJp natures lower prices must
but 1t gives expression to a condition that
will have to be met sooner or later.
There Is now every prospect of the raising
of a very large winter and spring wheat
crop in Nebraska, and as many conservative
grain dealers are predicting Accent wheat in
Chicago. 1t would seem to be advisable to
market the crop as rapidly as possible. Mr..
the situation in the winter wheat district
and from the states east of the Mississippi
river leads him to believe that from SO cents
to So cents will be as low as wheat will sell
in Chicago in the course of the next twelve
months. This would net the farmers of Ne
braska fair prices for their wheat.