The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-20

Higher Price to Any Attempt to
Corner the Market, or to other
limitations of "a Speculative Char
acter, but to the Increase In
Cost of Production.
The Duluth Herald of recent date, has
an article concerning an alleged Crusade
against the use of coffee and directing
attention to a claim that the price of this
commodity has been going up steadily for
some time. Prominence is given to the
statement that there Is possibility that
"the article will come to be classed
among the luxuries.' Continuing, 1t
says:
1.-THE advance has been in progress for
three months. Nov. the manufacturers
Of package goods notified all wholesale
dealers in the Northwest Of an advance
Of one-half cent per package. Dec % a.
similar notice went out, and last Friday
the dealers were informed Of another
advance of one-half cent. The effect has
been felt Immediately by the consumers
through the retailers, who have raised
their prices each time in accordance
with the raise by the manufacturers.
They say that their margins of profit are
quite small on coffee, so when the manu-
facturers raise it is necessary for them
to pass the raise on to the consumers,
and the advance loses nothing from this
handing on
TIC this is appended an insinuation that
the advance might be traced to political
conditions, or strong speculative tendency
at coffee-handling centers.
In order to ascertain if similar condi-
lions existed in St. Paul, or in the coffee
market generally, a reporter for the
G o b e saw number Of prominent cof-
fee dealers in the CITY,
Henry G. Allen, Of the firm Of J. Fl.
Allen & Co., said that one could hardly
select the one commodity of coffee and
trace the cause of it's advance, in view
OF The fact that it has been general in
all classes of goods. Then, too, there
was q wide range in the grades and cor
responding prices of coffees. Prices ran
from ten to forty-1ve cents a pound, and
while enc grade might be a luxury the
cheaper grade might be classed with
necessities. At first glance the article
from the Duluth paper would seem to be
in the nature Of a covert advertisement
for some cereal substitute for coffee But
the advance in coffee had not been at all
out of proportion to other staples in all
branches of trade. For the first time in
many years the grocery trade was now
doing business on rising market.
c. R. Croft, importer Of coffee, teas and
Spices was Of the opinion that the article
aimed at the subserviency Of coffee to
some substitute. He said that coffee had
not advanced more than other commodi-
ties. 1t was true that the crop of coffee
in Brazil had been injured by rains and
the budding of the flower injured. This.
in itself, would be legitimate cause for
eny advance that might at present exist,
but the fact was that coffee was being
sold now on as, close a margin as any
other grocery staples 1t had advanced
with other goods and the advance was,
Of course, quite natural.
Daniel R. Beckford, department man.
age1 for the Kelly Mercantile company,
deeried the evident attempt Of the article
to depreciate the food and tonic value or
coffee. So far as the advance In price
was concerned 1t arose from the same
causes which had combined to advance
other food staples. 1t was Impossible to
single out any particular cause. Inere
was fair prospect that coffee might
GO still higher. It was a necessity ana
not a luxury save. perhaps IN the hlgner
r,riced fancy grades.