The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1889-02-22
The Egis and Intelligencer
The Canned Goods Industry.

The depression in the canned goods trade
continues and the prospect for better prices
for this years pack is even less encouraging
than was the outlook at this time last year.
Then we pointed out the danger which threat
ened from oyerproduCtlOn aud we regret to say
our fears were realized. The disaster result
ing thereirOm has not been confined to indi-
vidual Gamers but it has affected every
branch of business in the county. Many
packers are involved in debt by reason of a
failure to realize the cost Of their goods
Others, who sold part of their pack in adj
vance, have been enabled to pay their bills,
but all their own labor and time are lost
Others again are ruined. With these facts
before them the Gamers of Hartford county
are disposed to restrict their operations this
year. From the best information to be OBJ
tanned It is probable that the acreage devoted
to sugar corn will be less by one-half than it
was last year. Some of the largest Gamers
will pack only small quantity of corn and
perhaps some tomatoes, chiefly to keep their
hands together. Others who have a
large portion of last years pack still
on hand and are not forced to sell, argue, and
with much force, that it will pay them bet
ter TO keep their stock over and cease pack
ing this year than TO sell below the cost of
production.
While the corn pack will be reduced in
Hartford fears are expressed that there will
again be an over production of tomatoes, re-
sulting once more in paralysis of trade and
loss everywhere.
A correspondent of the american Grocer,
of New York, giving his views on the stua.
ton says:
"With the stock on hand, | soc very little en-
couragement for packers, as the Hartford coun.
ty corn must be consumed, and as the princi-
pal outlet has been in the West and as the
West is now supplying its own markets, this
corn will have to seek an outlet either In the
Eastern Eastern states ata very low price in the
"There is nothing In the situation OF corn to
warrant further production among the farmers
In Maryland, and those who have any means
left contemplate turning their attention to to-
matoes. Should the season be good one, and
all sections pack up to expectations, tomatoes
will be at this time In 1890 much where corn Ia
now"
A Hartford county correspondent of the
same journal, in spicy letter, pitches into
the Senate for endeavoring to place double
tax on tin-plale, which would thereby almost
tax the canned goods industry out of exist
ence-for the purpose of enabling one or two
firms to experiment with the production Of
tin-plate, and If successful, obtain m0nopo.
ly OF it in this country. This correspondent
says
"ln Hartford county we have packed about 500
900 cases of corn, aud of that amount 800 900
have passed from the packers to the dealers
hands-a fair amount to be moved up this tirng.
There will surely be considerable curtailment
III the pack this year. 1t is absolutely neces.
sary that there should be, for many a packer
has had at least half, and some all they were
were worth, swept from them this year. But
10 put the corn packing business on paying
basis again there should be a reduction In the
pack all over the c0untry-East, South and
Wet There Is too much corn everywhere and
there will be no profit in it until the surplus 10
absorbed II every packer would just pack
sufficient corn to I'LL what orders he will get
this spring that absorption will take place in
one year aud We Will be on healthy ground
again, but if the packers will continue to over
do this business they will ruin themselves. 1t
looks to me as If the bottom had gone clean
out OF the canned corn mlrket and there is no
use in any syndicate trying to patch it up in
buying large blocks A certain number of
packers must be squeezed out, aud the sooner
the better for the trade"
A prominent canned goods commission firm
of Philadelphia writes 10 The -tgts as fcl-
lows:
1.-THE canned goods business has been one pre-.
scnting many difficulties TO both the packer
aud the distributor during the last nine months
aud general encouragement follows 1t would
seem, coupled with the fact that the production
has been largely In excess of the annual con.
sumption on canned corn, that the general bust
ness depression, at least in several lines OF goods
handled by the grocery trade, has been greater
this season than has been known for years
Evaporated fruits packed In Delaware, Mary
land and California have all of them suffered
TO greater degree than have canned goods
Peaches, for instance, are selling to-day for
about one-halt the price which was secured for
same goods In September and October last ~