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be a commercial miracle. If there was a 

 stinted supply of grain, they might be brought 

 into collision. But such is the overflow in the 

 market that they select only the best specimens 

 on a large amount that makes its way to the 

 North. It is true, the larger portion brought 

 here, is sold here, because farmers know from 

 experience it is useless to bring to this market any 

 Other than wheat of the highest quality. There 

 is then every possible motive for concert, and 

 none conceivable for rivalry, for men such as 

 those engaged in these establishments. But if 

 it be still doubted, I would ask, if one of these 

 millers gave a higher price than the rest, is it 

 not obvious he would buy all the wheat until 

 he was fully supplied? Suppose one of these 

 gentlemen, operated on by a spirit of liberality, 

 which does not belong to commerce, should of- 

 fer the farmers as much as he could afford to 

 give, looking to the price he obtains for the 

 flour made of their wheat in llio Janeiro, would 

 the other millers do any work whilst their of- 

 fers continued ? Does not every man know who 

 sells wheat here, that he is offered generally 

 about the same price at all the mills when he is 

 not informed that they do not want to buy? — 

 Again, if there be no concert, why is it that 

 they all concur in the same abuses as we con- 

 eider them? Why do they all require that 

 grain should be taken from the vessels and de- 

 livered at the mills at the risque of the owners 

 and weighed in their scales instead of using 

 the legal weighers provided by the State? It 

 is not necessiiry to recapitulate further under 

 this head. It seems perfectly clear that it is 

 their interest to act in concert, and that they 

 are true to their interest in practice. 



2. It was asserted in my previous communi- 

 cation that the price of wheat here is generally 

 fifteen to twenty cents below the price in New 

 York, sometimes less and sometimes more. — 

 When the new wheat commenced coming to 

 market there was a difference of thirty cents 

 in favor of New York. Subsequently, for a 

 short time, there was but little difference. It 

 is believed that fifteen or twenty cents is the 

 usual average, being the cost of transportation 

 and sale in New York. No good reason has 

 ever been assigned for this difference within 

 my knowledge; on the contrary, facts seems to 

 show that the Richmond millers can afford to 

 give more than the New Yorkers. He obtains 

 a much higher price for his flour. The best 

 brands of the Gallcgo and Haxall mills com- 

 nrand from three to four dollars more at the 

 least, as a general rule, than the flour of other 

 sections of country, in the city of New York ; 

 and the second quality will bring more than 

 the first of the New York and Bahimore mills. 

 In Rio Janeiro, the principal market for our 

 flour from Richmond, the price varies from two 

 to five dollars in our favor. The last sales in 

 that market, of which I have had an opportunity 

 to see the price current, were in the month of 

 October. Two cargoes of flour from Richmond 



were sold at twenty-five millrees per barrel, 

 when at the same time, one from Baltimore and 

 another from Philadelphia brought fifteen mill- 

 rees. The milli ee is about fifty cents, but va- 

 rying to some extent, according: to the exchange. 

 Thus our flour was sold at $12 50 per barrel, 

 and that of the two Northern cities at $7 50. 

 Very much of this difference is due to the su^ 

 periority of our wheat; something doubtless to. 

 the excellent preparation and unsurpassed pro- 

 cesses through which it is carried at the mills, 

 i A difference of five dollars per barrel in favor 

 I of the Richmond mills, and these mills giving 

 J fifteen or twenty cents less for wheat than is 

 • given for the same article in the New York mar- 

 ket. I would ask if the farmers producing the 

 wheat which makes the flour that brings such 

 prices are not entitled to a better share of the 

 profits than than which they receive? Think 

 you if it were made exclusively by three men, as 

 it is ground for the most part in three mills, it 

 would not bring a better price, although the 

 quantity made were the same ? You would see 

 then the advantages of a combination in selling 

 as well as in buying — the wide difference be- 

 tween a sale of two and a half to three million 

 of bushels of wheat by three men and by ten 

 thousand. It would be the difference between 

 the operations of the millionaire on the stock 

 exchange and the man with a few hundred. — 

 The control of large resources, either in buying 

 or selling, always gives great advantage. For 

 myself, I would not wish to deprive the millers 

 of large profits, to which -the} 7 are well entitled 

 for their great enterprize, the extraordinary 

 skill which they have attained in their art, and 

 the reputation they have obtained for their su- 

 perior flour, but at the same time I would have 

 the farmer who furnishes the materiel receive 

 some share in these high prices derived in so 

 great a degree from their labors. 



3. The millers require, as a general rule, that 

 wheat should be in market before they will 

 make a bid for it. I do not blame them, seeing 

 they have the power in their own hands, for it 

 is certainly a rule very much to their advan- 

 tage. It is admitted in their " d fence," that 

 this would place the farmer at the mercy of 

 the buyer, but it is urged, "the other would 

 place the miller at the mercy of the farmer." 

 If it were so, I would certainly prefer it to the 

 present system, but I do not perceive that con- 

 sequence. If the crop of wheat were not equal 

 to the sample, they would not be slow in doing 

 t emselvcs justice by refusing to receive it, 

 they would still have the power in their own 

 hands. When the wheat is once in market, 

 they know full well the farmer will submit to 

 great sacrifices rather than re-ship it. It is 

 proper to say that they do not always adhere 

 to the rule, but sometimes buy by sample. In 

 the country, Ave all know, this is the universal 

 practice, and is fair to all parties. 



4. My ingenious friend, who lias undertaken 

 the defence of millers and commission mer- 



