Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-02-05
THE DECLINE IN THE
PRICE OF CORN

tuaG tno removal or the tariff caused
a slump Of 10 cents a bushel in the
price of 6orn. l dispute that con.
clusion for the reason that there is
no corn coming to this country tina,
enters in competition with our cor,
to any appreciable extent. This i,
because Argentine corn is too mucl
like buckshot, being too hard for ami.
NAL food without being ground. i,
is scrubby and unsatisfactory stuff
and not only does it not come into
competition with American corn in
this country, but neither does it any.
where else.
How do l know this to be a fact?
Because American corn has steadily
advanced in price in the worlds
markets, as reflected by the Liver
pool prices at this time, and during
the past sixty days, while here at
home the spectators have beaten the
price down more than 10 cents a
bushel.
Further, there never was year
during the past 40 years that more o,
less corn was not imported into this
country. to places remote from the
great grain distributing centers.
Moreover, Argentine corn is beg
ging for markets throughout the
world at from Is to 18 cents below
American corn; while in this country
the gamblers have beaten the price
of our corn to within or 6 cents OF
the price of the miserable Argentine
corn.
What then can be the purpose OF
Expert" in giving out his false con-
clusions? The purpose must be to
chloroform the farmers with the old
false tariff song, while the grain
gamblers are getting away with more
than one-6fth of the entire price of
their corn.
Can l prove this to be true? Yes,
here is the proof:
On the 25th of November the writer
made an investigation as to the price
of grain in Chicago, New York and
Liverpool. On that day corn sold in
Chicago at 721a cents, in New York
80 cents and in Liverpool 6s I'd, or in
our money 8819 cents bushel for IS
pounds.
Since then corn has declined in this
country fully 10 cents a bushel, while.
in Liverpool it has advanced ~ cents
a bushel.
[ take the following from the Chi
cago Record Herald on January 20:
Cash corn Chicago, from 5s1s cents to
66 cents; New York, cash corn to ar
rive, 721a cents; Liverpool, American
mixed, 6s sgd, reduced to our money
makes 80 cents bushel for 5e pounds.
Thus while the difference in the
price of corn between New York and
Liverpool on November 25th was 81
cents a bushel; the difference in the
price at this time is fully 18 cents a
bushel. Accordingly the grain gamb-
lers of this country are taking from
the pockets of the farmers of the
country from ten to twelve cents a
bushel over and above a fair profit
for the handling of said corn crop.
Yet the same relative difference in
the price of wheat exists between
New York and Liverpool that existed
November 25, when corn was selling
in New York at 8215 cents and was
then on an exact export price, SO that
it cannot be said that transportation
charges has had anything to do with it.
The robbery of the farmer in this
instance is enormous and we may
expect expert" to sing his tariff
song so long as he can lull them to
sleep while the gamblers are getting
away with their hard earned money.
What is the remedy? Stop flooding
the markets with ccrn; it is human
nature to buy as cheaply as one can.
This should be said in fairness to
those who are now reaping big re-
ward by taking advantage of stu
alton that is liable often to arise.
The question may be asked how are
we to stop flooding the market with
corn when farmers must have money
and corn is the only crop with which
to get money?
We should ask the government to
build great terminal warehouses, the
same as Canada does for it's farmers,
where grain could be stored at actual
cost and money drawn against ware
house receipts.
Build up our own terminal selling
agency the same as the Canadian far
mers have. Grain cannot 60 below
the export price in Canada because
the facilities of the farmers selling
agency in that country enables them
to export their own grain. That So
the reason why grain was lower in
Minneapolis 9 good portion Of the
past season than it was in Winnipeg,
and that 10 the reason that during the
greater portion Of the season Of 1912