The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-26
COAL AND WHEAT AFFECTED.
HIGH PRICES LIKELY TO REIGN
UNLESS a CHANGE CONES.
Coast COmbiae to Mske the Cereal
Situation Serious and ~ . Result
Wa.hington Farmers Will Beaent.

Washington Farmers Will HeaeGt.
Coal and wheat. two of the most i'm
portant articles of foreign and domestic
commerce. In Western Washington. will
soon be al war prices unless the queen re-
gent OF Spain moves fos the peace Of the
two bellgerent nations. Wheat has already
gone up a; an astounding rate and yester-
day mornings early praS dispatches
quoted the San Francisco market as gen.
orally excited. Saturday December wheat
closed al N.7o: yesterday morning Il OPEN
ed at si.so, a jump over Sunday OF 10
cents per bushel, something almost phen-
omenal, even I'm wheat speculation ON the
Pacific coast. Taking conditions into con-
s.deration, coal and wheat are closely
linked in the present emergency of war.
and the effect will not be other than tic
send prices sKywards. The intimate asso-
citation Of the TWO is In relation TO the de-
nand for vessels to transport them TO iha
market. which just now is San Francisco.
the rendezvous of war vessels demanding
fuel, and the clearing house for wheat ex-
ports TO foreign countries.
Besides the war local conditions on the
coast are largely responsible for the soar
ing market, the wheat crop OF California
being short on account of drouth. var
lousy estimated at from 20.00o.UO TO 25-
10000 bushels, while the visible supply
will probably not exceed 1S,00u.0u0 BUSH
els. California has shipped It's wheat 10
England. Without crop of its own or
wheat In its elevators. ii is looking 10 thu
several million bushels stored in the state
OF Washington 10 supply the trade A scar
city OF wheat-carrying vessels adds to tie
embarrassment OF the state of California
and holding back on the part OF Washing
ton spectators and farmers has created
n shortage that Is something OF a hard
ship TO the Merchants Exchange in San
Francisco.
WashtngtOn's Wheat.
There are probably no: 10 exceed i.00O00
bushels OF wheat in Washington, accord
ing to statement made yesterday By
h. Garden, OF j. q. Adams d. Co., the
large part OF which is IN the Palouse
country. The Oregon Railroad q Navga-
ton Company sends the wheat along it's
line to Portland; the Northern Pacific 10
Tacoma and the Great Northern to Seat
tie. There is heavy demand in Washing
ton now for export TO the ORIENT and an
equally heavy demand on the part Of mill
ers who will pay a larger price for wheat
than the exporters the latter quoting only
.. cents. while mills will pay ~ cents for
blue stem. Club wheat al mills S 50 cents
and all prices are for delivery.
All the steamer space that can be en-
gagged s taken for wheat, but carriers
are now taxed on the Pacific coast in the
coal trade for the var vesse.s. The
barley crop Of California Is a total failure.
also ascribable to the effect of the drouln
ana the little that there is In the state OF
Washington - now the cynosure of spec
ulative eyts II the San Francisco Mer-
chants Exchange. Prices on barley ard
oats have advanced s. per ton AMI barley
is now quoted at So over the SIS offered
a month ago. and oats at So
In speaking OF yesterdays market Mr..
Cardln predicted tina; the opening figures
this morning would be higher. He stated
that g. might be reached. There is every
prospect FOR an enormous crop in Wash
ington this year. farmers having appre-
C}atcd the boon that the crop OF 1S11
brought 10 the state In the way OF prices
4 great deal OF additional acreage Is being
pat into wheat. with everything in sight
10 the advantage OF the farmers. The add
Ing of 20 cents 10 the normal prices IL d.
rectiy traceable 20 war. With every pros
nect Of the greatest wheat crops in Wash
agton the farmer has much 10 be hopeful
for.
The Coat Outlook.
\ rise In prices for coal is more than
possibility and should coal be declared a
coptrahand OF war, subject 10 seizure in
neutral bottoms, the situation could not
fail to be an interesting one. San Fran
cisco has purchased It's coal III Eng ana.
NrF fsre all Aus F&S
American cnal has been sent largely from
Puget sound with a modicum from Coos
BAY. The Welsh miners struck on April
& and threatened strike among the Aus
tralian coal miners complexities the Situa-
tion. There can hardly fail 10 be coal
famine In San Francisco.
Nj. {. J. Smith general MANAGER Of
the Pacific Coast Company. has re-
eetved reliabie advices from San Fran
cisco that there will be a shortage The
war has led marine underwriters 10 attach
war risks 10 all earsoes 10 and from Cali
fcrnia- There Is scarcity OF coal In Chi
aese ard japanese waters and this Con,i-
tion has raised freight rates IN some case
= shliings. Tbs will have the efTect OF
dlveriine Australian caFSoes 10 China and
Japan instead Of bringing them TO San
Francisco. and in this the association q
coal and wheat Is again brought out Eus-
}ish bottoms with general cargoes hive
Jtpan they have gone light or in ballast
to Australia. Al Australia they have
taken coal c,irEoes for San Francisco and
after ci~.h8TEiug at the last named port
they aaVe Chartered for the United King
"on r. wheat. The diversion OF coal car
FyiUS frosn Australia 20 San Francisco 10
the better paying voyages Of Australia 10
CHINA and Japan viii create q scarcity
~ Australian coat in california sn1 a ron
s%9dent Increase IN the demand fer other
slai to supply the deficiency.
Mt smith stated that The present o3tTslt
o. cu4l from ihe Newcastle and Franklin
mines of me Pacific Coast Company is
about Stfsa TONS Per month which output
might o's increased hy anticipating the
future httie and making al investment
icr development. Snscula os's have sn-
Efcacn"a Nj sn2I1a. asking for options on
coal which he has refused. THE promises
of larger demand ara quite as valuable
20 the Pacific Coast Company as 20 any
one and no hold upon presen, prices 10 70
Dc gwen.