The Minneapolis journal., 1902-10-08
.MlLLERS DO NOT BUY
They Are Leaving the W ashington
State Wheat for the Expor- ..,4
ters to Handle.
Last Year Millers Held Off and Had
to Go With a Lantern to
s> .. ! q Find Grain. d y
Special to The Journal.

Sp6Cldl TO i Ile Joullieti.
Tacoma. WASH Oct. SIT is estimated |
fully so per cent of this seasons crop Of
wheat raised in Washington has been
sold. the exporters taking the larger share.
An unusually large amount of wheat was
sold under contract when the market
reached so cents, a price the farmers are
usually willing to accept for their yield.
Since the harvest buyers have been active
all over eastern Washington and have
been bidding against each other for every
large bit of grain in the farmers hands.
> So far as grain buyers are able to learn,
the millers are not getting their share of
the crop. They are In the market, but
their agents are not so active as those OF
the exporters. This same condition pre-
vailed last season, when the millers, by
holding off, barely managed to keep their
mills running during the latter part Of the
crop year. AS buyer aptly explains it,
they were looking for wheat with a Ian
tern from March to September.
The statistics Of the harvest indicate
that the earlier estimates Of the shortage
will hold good. and that If any revision
has to be made it will be to increase the
| amount of the falling off. It Is thought
| the difference between the present and
| last years crop may reach 80 per cent.
| In the event these figures prove true,
| the plight of the millers who are not TAX.
| ing early precautions will be serious next
| year. WIN h 1uH crop anu HOI dl uAl-
usual demand last season they were
caught short, and it is hardly likely, grain
buyers hold, that they will protect them
selves fully on a short yield
This is rather remarkable, too, for most
Of the millers have established good
footing with East Side warehousemen and
have plenty of houses Of their own to hold
the grain they will need for the years
output of flour. Moreover, the oriental
markets have been practically deserted in
favor of the state mills This opens up
a better demand for the output Of state
mills than ever before.
| The San Francisco and California mills
in general practically out Of the orfen-
tai market, for some reason, probably ow
ing to the fact that the quotations on
wheat for milling purposes are now giving
Washington milers all the advantage.
There is a difference Of about cents a
bushel at present in favor of the local
mills, and some buyers argue this Is the
reason the oriental markets are practical
ly abandoned by California. In any event
the California mills are, shipping largely
to the Cape, and Washington mills control
the Asiatic markets.
Unelss the mills take steps to protect
themselves in the purchase of wheat soon,
they are likely to be left in an embarrass-
ing situation, owing to the increased de-
mand and may have to scrape the coun-
try pretty clean to fill out the year. The
state went into the new crop year without
any old wheat on hand.
4 feature of the wheat buying at pres
y ent is that Puget sound exporters are get
'. ting an unusually large percentage Of the
offerings. 1t is freely predicted that wher
{ the crop has passed out of the farmers
i hands the statistics for the year will show
k a big proportionate gain over Portland.