The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-05-11
cANNERs MAKE A STAND.
Telephone No. So.

The peculiar condition of affairs which
has brought the jobbers generally
throughout the country into a sort of
commercial hue and cry against the salm-
on packers Of the Columbia river, has
been brought about partly by reason of
the past inactivity Of the cannerymen
themselves, and partly through the pres
ent state Of retailers stocks. Indeed,
had 1t not been that this latter reason
existed tand 1t only exists by chance)
the commission men would have been
powerless to go to the lengths they have
already reached in their vicious attempt
to steal n march on the men who have
for twenty years treated them as
class, with the utmost consideration.
Last year. in the height of the dis
tributing season, very large sales Of
choice stock we're made, but by reason
Of the long continued railroad strikes
throughout the country, most of these or
ders reached the wholesalers too late for
the operations they calculated to make.
The result was that retailers generally
were left to tide over the winter with
a more choice assortment of Columbia
river salmon than has been the case for
many years, and these same stocks that
were delayed by last years strikes, are
still being dealt in among retailers gen.
orally. Obviously the demands for this
class Of new goods have therefore not
yet become pressing. The stock move
ment In the early season has given the
jobbers time to haggle over terms, and
needless to say they are taking full ad-
vantage of the opportunity to press the
l Ia cash discount terms on the cannery-
men. II the latter were In immediate
need Of funds at any figure to carry on
business with. the scheme might in some
cases have been crowned with success.
But unfortunately for the jobbers their
opportunity found the packers ready and
willing not only to walt but to deliberate
lys hold shipments, and keep back from
negotiating sales of any kind till the
market reached its normal and firm
condition with the usual steady de-
mands.
These cash discount terms, by the way.
which are causing the only stir there
seems TO be at present, are not n discount
for cash at all, but should be designated
as cash ten days after the invoice is
received" for that is really what such
terms would amount to, Thus the job
bers attempting to clear everything at
single jump, hasten from the old sale
'cv.tfions to the present demand, and
would, II they Aad the opportunity be In
a few months clamordng for sixty days,
In q manner indicating that any other
terms would be rank robbery, One or
two OF the smaller packers have, pre-
sumably because they are entirely In the
hands OF the Jobbersf fallen into the trap,
for small shipments. One commission
man very frankly writes us ''most of the
grocers have enough stocks to go on
with a little longer, and we propose to
walt as long as we can hold them on
and see how things are going to pan out"
While the claim of the wholesale gro
GERS that they all lost money last year
on canned goods generally and more
particularly on futures, is no doubt quite
true. still all OF them acknowledge that
canned salmon has been the only OK
ception. Everything else has declined
Canned salmon has kept It's price and
been brisk seller through the hardest
times. Therefore (and here is where the
peculiar logic comes in) they are doing
their utmost to jump on canned salmon
and force II to so down with the rest Of
the canned stock generally They de-
foolish course. course we believe OF
variance with their own best interests
and announce that they are going to force
salmon down II they are able to do II. II
only for the reason that II is the sole
article Of any description nn which
prices have held firm
There is a strong probability that pack
ers, sick and tired as they are already
Of the iobbers demands and Their treat
ment OF this question. will from this
time on, shut on their shipments entire
ly. and walt developments. The jobbers
are in peculiar position. and very 1T
tie more nonsense on their part may cas-
lly result in the diverrlng of the great
bulk OF the Columbia river pack 10 for
eIgn orders the negotiaiors for which
can always BE- relied on TO treat packers
fairly and equItably and to give value
TOR value received.