The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1914-02-06

as to the New Orleans market, ant
that market price, less the cost of car
rage and the cost of handling, is usual
lv the price that is fixed for the com
modify at interior points.
with the development of the in.
duStry, as to area, with the building of
the interior mill, the larger proportion
of the rice has been sold at home; that
is to say buyers representing the New
Orleans mills and buyers representing
the interior mills GO from place to
place, either plantation or the nearest
point where storage and warehouse
facilities exist, and the trade and barter
in rice is made at these points. And |
think | can permit myself the criticism,
since | am part and parcel of it, that
the present system of selling rough
rice is aboat as primitive, unSatiSfac.
tory and expensive asst could we'll be,
because it is well to bear in mind that
every item of expense. it matters not
whether it is freight, brokerage or
what it is, has got to come out of the
rice.
SUGGESTS REMEDY.
The remedy for all this will come
when we standardiZe our grades and
sell rice as is wheat and corn, have an
inspection bureau that will certificate
the grain and figure, when certain
standard is not reached, that that
character of rice will not be considered
merchandise. But just as long as
anything gotten out of the fields is
considered rice and is offered for sale
and forced to sale-then just that
long will we have the unsatisfactory
methods in vogue that now pevail.'
The speaker said he would not go
into detail in reference to manufacture
ing, as that was technical one, but he
explained all of the existing methods of
manufacturing the cereal and gave
many new ideas in this branch of the
industry.
Methods of distribution are not ade.
quate, said Mr.. Breaux. He described
the means by which the cereal was
sent over the country, after which he
said: "But taking it all in all, believe
the criticism applies that we are not
putting behind rice the craftsmanship
we should in order to develop more
eaters thereof"
MEETING THE MARK,
with the cut in the tariff in rice we
may as well face the situation now as
later" declared the speaker. "We
must put the industry on such basis
of price as will enable us to compete
with the foreigner and live. Many of
our friends seem to think that the
tariff being lowered a cent on edible
rice would do us no harm. The result
$50 far as see 1t has been practically
the extinguishment of the Atlantic sea-
board and Pacific coast markets, except
on basis of meeting the import price.
For instance, Slams can be bought duty
paid, on a basis OF Lac, either New
York or New Orleans. You don't have
to be much of a trader to know if you
had two cent duty instead of one cent
that this price would be FIVE and
quarter instead of four and a quarter
cents; and wheu you take one cent
pound of of your extra fancy heads 1t
means actually fifty to sixty cents per
barrel less in the price, and when you
figure the potentiality of that compe-
tition and the disturbance in trade con.
ditions IT comes pretty nearly being
dollar instead of fifty cents. Theoriz.
ing on the tariff now does no good. |
suppose we should feel thankful that
the duty was not eliminated entirely;
and think it is a further fair inference
if the country prospers under tariff
reform the next three years, ourfriends
the politicians will try and make good
better by eliminating the tariff in its