The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1903-05-08
CAUGHT IN A TRAP.
TURPENTINE OPERATORS AT MER-
CY OF THE TRUST.
Jacksonville is Not and Never Will
Be a Market.
ITO NAVAL STORES PRODUCERS:

ITO NAN AL EIOnEo L AN"DS
No doubt you will remember all we
have said and done, and how we
fought the consolidated movement at
Jacksonville; but the trust scheme
was perfected all the same, ana you
are now beginning to get taste OF
the low prices resulting from com
bination which has shut out all COM
petition; and it is only a question OF
a short while when operators VIII see
their error in allowing themselves TO
he led into scheme that will WORK
ruin to the industry and the loss OF
many a hard earned dollar.
las said before, Savannah Is Ihe
leading market of the world. me
price of naval stores at other points
Is based on Savannah quotations;
and now if the product is to be snip
ned to the closed markets OF jack
sonville, Fernandina and other
points, then you will have to suffer
the consequence. You refused 10
sell futures at 49c or over, but allow
ed the corporations you are DONG
business with, to sell your entire
product for the year on arrival at
jacksonville and Fernandina at
no price at all, further than what
Savannah happens to be quoted.
This puts about two-thlrds OF the
entire production into the hands OF Il
combination of exporters, (and IN
side wheels) whose object is, to get
those receipts at as low a price as
possible, and apply same on their
own future sales made to consumers
while the market was quoted at Zoe.
"And now comes the picnic of the
exporters land inside wheels) who so
cunningly "gobbled up the receipts
Mt those points. Having this large
quantity of stuff contracted for at no
price at all, they are enabled to sup
Div the demand, and neglect Savan-
nah on "nothing doing" plan until
her receipts accumulate, and then
buy at a decline, and thus establish
a low quotation on which to take in
the receipts at the other ports. This
is being done and will continue so
until operators pull out of the con-
solidated enterprise and ship their
stuff to Savannah, where factors may
be able to work up some competition
for it. But if the Florida operators
have been sold out clock, stock and
barrel" can they ship to Savannah =?
That is a question for them to
answer. Some may say the freight
is too high; but whatever difference
there is, they are paying it anyway,
when they ship to any other market
than Savannah, in that, every bar
rel diverted from here tends to de-
press the market that makes the
price for the whole world; hence the
little difference in freight is made up
many times over in the price obtain
ed at a comparative market. But
nevertheless, a large quantity OF
stuff is going to Fernandina and the
shallow waters" of Jacksonville;
and after being procured at a low
price, it is brought by the exporters
to Savannah to further depress the
market with, or, tor eXport-in either
case, it is detrimental to the produce
er, in that, if it has to come here it
might as well come direct from the
stills and save all this extra cost of
freight, re-inspection, etc which
has been provided for in the "pur-
chase price" and the operator is pay
ing it all the same with his eyes wide
open. Why, just think of the already
about $500 barrels of turpentine
which have been brought up here
from those closed markets by en-
porters in the last few days. Regauge
it, and what do you find? We are
told that some of it runs from b to |
gallon more TO the barrel than was per-
Ia, ri To tI,n ,1pn1nnnp .
and yet they are influenced to believe
it is to their interest to ship to other
points than Savannah.
"In summing up the situation, it
is indeed, serious. You have been
decoyed by catchy advice, spiced
with pretty pictures in trade jour
mails, containing bull articles, which
we believe were inspired by those
who set the trap to catch the pro-
ducers. The trick has been success
fully played, and unless you decide
to tear away from the clutches of the
monopoly and ship to our competitive
market that makes the price for the
world, lower prices are sure to follow.
Don't be prejudiced because you
happen to own stock in an enterprise.
When you see Il mistake has been
made, it is better to correct it in the
beginning than to risk greater loss
later.
Operators in each section should
call a meeting to discuss the matter
and take prompt action, for when the
market declines to a low basis it will
be hard to react it, if the present
condition of affairs is allowed to 90
on"
The above is a copy of circular
letter recently sent out to naval
stores operators in this state. The
letter is something in the nature of a
whine" from Savannah firm
which has been euchered out of its
business, but as large operator has
stated, 1.-THE facts stated in the letter
are unfortunately true-the turpen-
tine men have been caught in IL trap. ="
Said he:
1.-THE turpentine operators were all
anxious to jump into the big trust
that was formed in Jacksonville last
winter. They expected that Jack
sonvile would be made the leading
market instead of Savannah. Some
VI oAC lioN 10
realize that the big trust was not
formed to make market at Jackson
vile at all, but was formed to catch
the Florida turpentine men and get
their product on basis of Savannah
prices, the big trust first getting the
Savannah market in complete con-
troll
1.-THE conditions are these: The
Jacksonville trust controls cloths of
the entire output of naval stores.
1t owns nearly all of the timber sun
ply in the south. They have absorb
ed all the factorage concerns in Saw
annah, Brunswick, Tampa. Mobile
and Pensacola, that might have n
tendency to uphold the market, 40
they have no opposition.
THE turpentine men of Florida
will soon stand confronted with the