The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-06-12
BUTTER AUCTION.
The Plan of the Dairy
mems Union.
is 1T A FEASIBLE ONE :?
Commission Men Do Not Take
Kindly to 1t.
THEY THINK 1T IMPRACTICABLE.
Reasons Given by Prominent Dealers
for Their Opinions-WilIt the
Union Act?

/
Everything depends upon meeting of
the members of the Darymen's Union
which takes place to-day, and at which ac-
ton will be taken by that body upon a
proposition which has been discussed
among themselves for some time past.
It is well known that during the past
few months the butter market has not
been in a condition which might be termed
satisfactory to either the producers or the
dealers handling their goods. Low prices
/ have prevailed, and there is as yet no In
dication OF any change.
1t is an equally well-known fact that
there never has been a David and Jona-
than feeling existing between the COM
mission men who handle butter and the
| Dairymen'S Union. The latter is sup
posed to be body of dairymen incorpo-
rated for the purposes of cooperation,
and keeping their business in their own
hands and dsaling directly with the con-
sumner or retail dealer, thereby avoiding
the payment of commissions.
Although the cooperative plan has
worked very We'll considering the disad-
vantages which have to be eontended
against in inaugurating any new enter
prise, the members of the union have for a
bilty of extending their scope of opera
tons by which they can improve and
stimulate trade, and also induce many
more dairymen who are not In the union
now to join with them
One of the plans discussed, and which
has found favor with many of the menu
bers of the union, Is TO adopt method of
selling butter every day at auction, as is
done in Paris. Zurich and some other large
cities, letting it go to the highest bidder
without interfering directly with the COM
mission mems business. AS one OF the
mem beTs of the union stated 20 a CALL
reporter yesterday this plan would give the
union certain amount of prestige which
it could not gain in any other way, and
would strengthen it among the dairymen.
1t would not, he said. interfere with the
commission men. They could lay In their
supply of butter from the union, and so
save the expense of about fifty or more
solicitors and bookkeeping expenses of
keeping accounts and making remittances.
This beatifc result was, of course, de-
pendent upon the DaiIymen's Union con-
| trolling nearly all the butter in the mar
ket. and thereby preventing the same from
| going off a ruinous rates.
| In speaking of the matter yesterday the
manager of the Dairymen's Union store
on Davis street. said that the proposed
method had only been discussed infor-
mally among the members, but no action
| had been taken toward a consummation
of the project. He was not quite sure
whether it would come before to-day's
meeting of the union or not, but could not
say that some member might not bring it
. 4
not think any final action would be taken,
but even on this point he was not sure.
1t was among commission men who
handle butter that opinion was decided.
The majority of those seen were more dis
posed TO rIdicule the scheme than to dis
cuss ii seriously.
II have not heard of this proposed auc-
tion," said member of the firm of Getz
Bros, "but on the face of it fail to see
how il is feasible. If they wanted to make
such plan success they would have to
establish an exchange upon the same
style as the Produce Exchange, where the
| butter would be graded according to quail
ity and properly inspected. Otherwise all
| sorts of butter would be thrown out upon
the market and the result would be bad
all around. Consumers would not be salts
fed. and producers would not be satisfied
with the returns which would be made
upon an auction-priee basis. AS far as the
effect upon the commission men is con-
cerned it would be very slight, judging
others by ourselves. We have our own
customers as well as our patrons ana l
don't think any auction inducements
would cause difference between US. Al
together. think the auction plan m light
prove to be costly experiment to the
! dairymen."
A represen tstive OF the firm of Dodge
Sweeney & Co. stated that the Dairymen's
Union could not begin to auction off their
butter any too soon for them. 1t would
make no difference to his firm, and to be
plain be thought the plan a farce.
Mr.. Whitney of C. E. Whitney & Co.
saw no objection to the plan if it was
properly conducted and was handled with
! judgment. 1t would then prove advan-
tageous to the union aud would not in ure
the commission men. II. however. there
was any discrimination or tendency dis
played to favor, as in selling small lots at
the same price as large lots, the sche me
would prove failure and would iDjure
the dairymen's interests materially.
Hills Bros. spoke also in the same vein.
Although not having heard of the proposed
plan, Mr.. Hills said he did not see why it
should not work if it was conducted prop
erly. Butter. being a perishable article.
must be handled quickly. and an auction
would expedite matters. If the auction
was carried out properly this firm would
as readily purchase in that way as any
other. provided they got what they wanted
for their trade.
Mr.. Wheaton of Wheaton & Breon did
not look upon the plan with any favor al
all. for the reason that he did not see whom
1t was going to benefit.
ut will not be good for any one; the
producer will not be satisfied with an auc-
ton price and the trade will not be
benefited by any such method unless it is
conducted in a systematieal manner. At
any rate. 1t will not affect our trade, am
sure. although 1t may help the Dairymen's
Union to get rid of some of their surplus
STOCK"
Altogether the meeting Of the Dairy
mems Union will be attended with some
interest to-day if only on account of the
probable action that may be taken regard
ing the butter-auction scheme.
-
Evolution in Astronomy.
This evening at Golden Gate Hail Professor
w. w. Campbell Of The Lick Observatory viii