Panama City pilot., 1908-02-06
Naval Stores.

Naval SLOS6S.
The Jacksonville Industrial Record,
of recent date, contained the follow
ing, which will be read with interest
by those interested in the advance of
the naval stores market:
1.-THE lesson of the past few years
appears to have been we'll impressed
upon naval stores operators through
out the naval stores belt.
1.-THE best indication of this is
found in the general feeling of suspi-
cion which has marked the effort to
account for the sudden and sensa-
tional rise in the price of spirits with
in the past few days.
Operators have studied the situa-
ton since the downward trend of
prices began. 1t is during periods of
adversely that the greatest care is al
ways taken to ascertain causes and
effect In the case of naval stores
the producers have been up against
it, for the past few months. They
have not only seen trust adopt and
maintain the most INSCRIPTIONS
methods, but they have been taught
with regret that there were some of
the factorage firms who purported to
be the friends of the producer who
have joined the forces with the enc
my and assisted in building up the
greatest bulwark of opposition which
ever confronted the producers.
"Now that there has been marked
advance the operator should stop and
think. "A burned child breads the
fire. The operators fingers have
been scorched in the past and they
are now inclined to keep as far away
from the flame as can be.
"There are many reasons being as
signed for the sudden advance in the
price of turpentine Talking all con-
ditions into consideration, it is plain
to see that it is only following the
adopted policy of manipulation by
the export company which has had
and which has exercised a monopol-
istic claim on the trade from the start
of the producing season up to now.
Readers of the Record will bear
in mind that few weeks ago this
paper inaugurated a strenuous fight
for the operator as against the COM
bination which was beating down the
price of spirits at will. Now that an
advance has occurred operators are
inclined to take a more optimistic
view of the situation. But there
should be careful study made of
present conditions. 1t has been
claimed that certain factorage firms
have been assisting in the general
and successful effort on the part of
the combine to influence prices.
Now that there is a contemplated
change in the management of one of
the largest factorage firms there are
good grounds for the belief that this
is behind the movement to advance
the price of turpentine. There ap-
pears to be little doubt as to this.
Operators ought to take this phase of
the situation into serious considera-
ton. If contemplated change can
affect the market to this extent the
question naturally arises as to what
the real effect will be when the con-
templated change is made.
But there ought not to be a with
drawal from the policy to curtail the
output and to better regulate labor.
The Record believes that there will
be continuance of the policy already
adopted and that there will be no
change wrought by this sudden adj
vance in the price of turpentine.
Operators have been exercising
the greatest judgement during the
past few days. Reports indicate that
all and not only a few have been fall
ing into line in the general plan to
decrease the output and to decrease
the expense of labor. The same efforts
ought to be continued.
Don't be carried away by the
present advance in the market. Wait
and see what it means"