The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-08-31
GRAIN FAMINE SEEMS CERTAIN Not a Bushel of Oats in
 Montgomery. DEALERS CANNOT GET THEM Wholesalers Are Duying Feed from
 Retailers. Price Has Advanced Rapidly, But This Has Almost Ceased to He a Con- sideration--WhoIe south is Affected.

NMontgoniery is facing an pat famine for oats and offering to pay the highest prices paid in years, Montgomery was yesterday without a supply of oats, suf- ficient to meet the demand.
 One car of oats was received in here yesterday, and as fast as 1t was de- livered 1t was sold by the jobbers At might. large wholesale grocer as- serted that there was probably not a sack of oats in any jobbing house in Montgomery.
 An excess of rain, complete failure of the oat crop in Texas and adjoining territories, an unprecedented demand. an altogether inadequate supply of cars for shipping the cereal and the strike of the telegraph operators, are the principal reasons ascribed by local com- mission merchants and wholesale dealers for the cat famine which, has been threatening, not only Montgomery but the entire South
 One of Montgomery's wholesale grocers declared that the situation has actually become serious "Wednesday night" he said, there was not sack of oats in jobbing houe in Mont gomery. We had to send to a retail dealer to buy enough oats to feed olr stock. Thursday one firm received two cars of oats and. as fast as 1t was re- ceived. it was sold out. Today we re- ceived car, which believe, Is only one that reached the city. and 1t went quickly"
 Condition Alarming.
 '"The oat famine is becoming alarm ing" asserted another grocery jobber, prices have gone skyward and. even though we are willing to pay what they ask for tic cereal. we have been unable to get it. Some time ago we placed an order with local broker for ten cars of oats. We thought we were extremely fortunate when we received only two of them"
 A commission merchant, who con- ducts large local business, said that. during the past week or ten days 1t has become practically impossible to supply the demand. The firms with whom we do business" he said. write us that the cry for oats is unheard of. They say 1t Is not question of price with them but a question of shipping facilities. Give them the cars and they will ship the oats.
 "This car shortage is most likely the Fundamental cause of the famine but think that excessive rains and the failure of the oat crop in Texas and the territories have aiso. con tributed to the scarcity of the grain You see. in this part of the country we have been accustomed to getting a large part of, our oat supply from Texas, but with the crop behind in that State. we are forced to go Into St. Louis and Missouri.
 "The famine I suppose, has also been increased to some extent also by the telegraph strike. in as much as 1t af- fects the markets. We are doine everything possible to accommodate Montgomery jobbers and expect to re- lieve the congestion within a few days"
 Montgomery jobbers are paying fif- ty-eight and ftfty-nine cents per bushel for oats and are selling at from sixty three to sixty-five cents per bushel At this same period last year. jobberf were selling oats at forty-five cents per busheI.
 Affects Breakfast Fools.
 "An indication of what the advance fin oats means, is contained in letter which we have received from the American Cereal Company" remarked a 1obber. The company manufactures a number of breakfast foods and i' one of the largest concerns of it's kinC in the country. The letter foretelli that the prices will probably be in creased to an enormous extent.
 '"rhtre is also a scarcity of corn anf all grains" he continued "but there ti no famine in any line except oats. WI have sufficient corn to supplg the Ge mand and I should think that there II enough in Montgomery to take care O. present wants, but corn this year hai been way off It is inferior in quality