The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1896-02-07


more wheat than now Everyone
knows the acreage of wheat has been
cut down heavily during the past five
years. Last spring, owing to fear of
chinch bugs, a much smaller acreage
OF wheat was SOwn than ever before;
estimated at the time, by good judges,
as twenty-five per cent less in this i'm
mediate vicinity.
Owing to drouth, Belgrade and
other townships in Nicollet county
tributary to this market, raised the
poorest crop ever known, and we get
little from that quarter for the SIM
pie reason that they have a very small
amount to sell this year.
AS to competition making better
prices, we challenge party making
statement No. three to point out any
time when wheat was ever bought at
as high relative prices in this city as
at present and for many months past,
the very time he complains Of. That
more buyers paying lower prices as
in the good old times" would make
any improvement now, is simply rank
nonsense.
If our business men can induce some
philanthIopist to come in and pay
three to five cents per bushel more
than wheat is worth, a larger amount
will be brought here. If our mer-
chants can afford to stand this loss we
will gladly handle the wheat without
any expense to them for buyer, they
simply paying the actual loss and in
this way they can raise the price any
amount desired. 1t is mere matter
OF dollars and cents. To raise the
price five cents per bushel on say 250,-
600 bushels will only cost them S12,-
500 per annum, and this will give it a
good trial and demonstrate whether
it will pay or not
Will anyone of the gentlemen COM
planning Of our wheat market point
out one single legitimate cause of
complaint? viii they show any market
in this vicinity that pays any more for
wheat; will they kindly tell us and
the public how we can pay any more
than other points having lower freight
rates and equal milling facilities and
compete in selling flour? Will they
inform US how we can pay more for
wheat than Eagle Lake, GAINESVILLE,
Waseca, Waterville, Elysian, all hav-
ing lower rates and all having good
mills and active competitors of ours
in all flour markets, saying nothing of
Lake Crystal, St. Peter, Kasota and
Mapleton, having mills with same
flour rates as we?
Have these gentlemen considered
the natural location of this city as
compared with these other points as
J to the nearness to the wheat fields,
and the roads for getting wheat to the
markets? Do they realize that to the
south and southwest several miles in
tervene before we come to any farmers
who raise much wheat?
The road from this city to the top
of Pigeon hill has been a standing in
vitation for thirty-five years for every
farmer living as far out as Pigeon hill
to keep away from this market.
The roads leading south to Rapidan
are well-known and comment is un-
necessary.
At these other points, wheat fields
are practically up to the buyers doors,
and we believe without exception the
roads into these places are far better
than into Mankato, owing to the
natural situation.
Have these gentlemen made move
to get these roads into better shape?
, If SO it is unknown to US. The move
ment last spring for improvement of
the South Bend road did not originate
with the retail merchants.
Some of these complaining gentle
} men know all these facts; others
have been told but claim not to be.
lleve them.
This company has heavier invest
ment in it's business here than any
eight members of the Merchants Pro.
tective Association, and is more in.
interested in bringing in wheat than
all it's members together. 1t is fully
aware of the damage already done this
market by these unwarranted state.
ments and by creating a general i'm
preston that the market is not equal
to other points.
We suggest that the Commerce.
club appoint an impartial committee
to investigate this and all other sur
rounding markets, and report all the
facts so business men may know the
, actual situation, then if we are not
doing all anyone can do, we trust the
M. P. A. will promptly put buyer in
the field. If on the other hand, it is
found we have as good market as
any, that no wheat naturally tributary
, to Mankato, is going elsewhere, that
/ I mo ooppot now morn an6 oOmnptp wit r