Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1888-07-19
KEEPING UP PRICES.
A Trick Of tho Fish Trade In New York
City-The Resni-

'See those forty barrels standing over
there said the Beekman street merchant,
pointing into the rear of his storehouse.
ssWell, they are all full of fish just slightly
tainted. You can have the entire lot free
gratis-by just calling wagon over and cart
ing them out Of my place.
Just then a sudden thought seemed 20 flash
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 20 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 ] wouldn't
like to see you dealers put into the wagons,
too, and carted off to the dumping dock
You deserve it. Here am |, like thousands
Of other people in New York, anxious for a
daily fish meal, and yet if l go out to pur-
chase / am asked forty and fifty cents a
pound for inferior stock. Then l come down
here and find hundreds Of tons being carried
of to the ofral dock. That's a pretty mean
way to run business, 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 point2 Still, it is the retail and not the
wholesale men who ere TO blame in this case"
"Aro these prices duo to tho scarcity in
suppliesgn
mot at all Scores Of craft place their
cargoes in New York weekly. During three
quarters of tho year the wholesale markets
are almost glutted with supplies. YET, as
say, the mechanic or laborer finds that to
purchase a fish dinner at a respectable retail
market will cost him almost days earn
ings Even the suspicious and i'll smelling
nock peddled in wagons is sold at higher
price per pound than the choicest beefsteak
or mutton chop"
"What Is the trouble due tor
"Hero Is the evil IN a nutshell Retail
dealers each control n 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 as a
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
tho standard price for the consumer is twelve
cents. What is the resnlta While tons and
tons Of fsh may be rotting in the wholesale
markets for want of a purchaser at one OF
TWO ceulc per lfOAllltl llAt lool lOtllc VI AftN
York cannot buy one meal of sea food for the
simple reason that the retail dealers limit Ii
sale by the big rates at which they dispose o.
it While the consumption of fish would un
doubleday be enormous if the retail price
were regulated by the wholesale, the situa
ton at present is very different Poor PEG
pie never visit the fish market, for they know
what to expect"
Such is claimed TO be the condition of tn
retail fish market today. Whatever the sup
ply may be, the retail prices never vary
which Is contrary to the rules of Legitimate
and honest commerce. According to tn
wholesalers, the aim of the small deale
seems to be to limit the demand and satisf.
himself with small sales and big profits
Wherever tho fault may lie the fact remain
that there is about rs much fish wasted il
New York as sold because there is no de
mand in comparison with tho supply.-Nev
York Press