, 1888-09-07
KEEPING UP PRICES
A Trick of the Fish Trade in New York
City-The Result.

City-The Result.
''See those forty barrels standing over
there said the Beekman street merchant,
pointing into the rear of his storehouse.
'FWeli, they are all full Of fish just slightly
tainted. You can nave the entire lot free
E~ratis-by just calling a wagon over and cart
ing them out of my place"
Just then a sudden thought seemed to fash
through the mind of the well fed gentleman.
You're a crowd of frauds" he cried an
grily. "Here you keep up the prices of fish
and let it rot and go bad in your cellars
rather than put in on the market at prices
which poor people can afford to give. It's
just good for you people this little hot
weather cleans out. Hang me If 1 wouldn't
like to see you dealers put into the wagons,
too, and cared off to the dumping dock.
You deserve it. Here am /, lke thousands
of other people in New York, nxiou for a
daily fish meal, and yet if 1 go out to pur-
chase l am asked forty and fifty cents a
pound for inferior stock. Then l come down
here and find hundreds of tons being carried
off to the offal dock. That's a pretty mean
way to run a business, 1 tell you"
And the well fed gentleman mopped his
brow and walked off in great indignation.
"Do you know" said the Beekman street
dealer, that party's remarks were quite to
the pointi Still, it is the retail and not the
wholesale men who are to blame in this case. n
care these prices due to the scarcity in
suppliesT'
mot at all. Scores of craft place their
cargoes in New York weekly. During three
quarters Of the year the wholesale markets
are almost glutted with supplies. Yet, as l
say, the mechanic or laborer finds that to
purchase a fish dinner at n respectable retail
market will cost him almost a days earn
in0c Eyan tho g,yN;n3o,,r ,xl sI -.a.I1.--
stock peddled in wagons is sold at a higher
price per pound than the choicest beefsteak
or mutton chop"
"What is the trouble due tor
Here is the evil in q nutshell. Retail
dealers each control a certain amount of
trade. They expect to sell so many pounds
per week and no more. Each has his steady
patrons, who buy in small quantities asa
rule, and never make any inquiry about the
price, which is kept at the same level all the
year round. There is absolutely no compe-
tition in the line. Cod may be selling
wholesale at two cents. or one cent. but
abe standard price for the consumer is twelve
cents. Whati is the RESULT While tons and
tons of fish may be rotting in the wholesale
markets for want of a purchaser at ono or
two cents per pound the poor people of New
York cannot buy one meal of sea food for the
simple reason that the retail dealers Limit its
sale by the big rates at which they dispose of
it. While the consumption of fish would I'M
doubtedly BIO enormous if the retail prices
were regulated by the wholesale, the situa-
ton at present is very different. Poor peo-
pie never visit the fish market, for they know
h to expect"
Such is claimed to be the condition of the
retail fish market today. Whatever the sup
ply may be, the retail prices never vary,
which is contrary to the rules of a legitimate
n honest commerce. According to- the
wholesalers, the aim of the small dealer
seems to be to limit the demand and satisfy
himself with small sales and big profits.
Wherever the fault may lie the fact remains
that there is about as much fish wasted in
New York as sold because there is no de-
mand in comparison with the supply.-New
York Press.