New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-14

from the ice and cartel without Ice 10 the stores ol
the retailers they cannot be kept In good coni'loh
| over I've days IN the retailers icebox"s.
Tho wholesale fish dealers do business entirely on
commission The law compcls them TO receive con
s,gnmcnts OF marketable FISH from any one ana
evorv one whether regular customers or entire
rtranpsra and provides a heavy penalty II they re-
fuse 10 DO SO r. however. the consignm"nts are
inferior or spoiled 90 that they cannot be sold Tor
enough 70 nav express charges It is lawful for the
wholesalers 10 decline 20 receive them ana 10 cave
them on the hands OF the express companies
DENIAL. OF AN ALLEGED WHOLESALE FISH
TRUST.
There is no such thing hsi trust or coInoina-
ton Ike the Beef Trust. has been alleged ana Il
would be impossible - start ono that w"uiu S''ii'
rho Tul,o, Fi.h Market Association. which IS COM
posed OF eighteen wholesale firms. has nothing wha'-
ever 70 DO with the liking or regulation OF prices.
BEFORE the association organized We used to do
business IN some rickty old sheds on the bulkhead
which were owned by the city, but we were bothered
., much by the authorities and the municipal market
clerks that we went to the Legislature ana became
INCORPORATED Then we obtained long ease OF
the Fulton Fish Market bulkhead and piers. and
built the market house. which - now standing The
association simply owns the building ana leases
stands TO It's members. Each of the eighteen firms
prices to suit itself ard Is IN The sharpest klnd
OF competition with every other irm In the market
| said that there was no combination on prices put
| wish there cOld be reasonable one, Tor tntn We
could make a fair living which Is more thar we are
now able 10 do with such low prices, strong COM
petition and limited demand
HIGH PRICES CAUSED BY RAPACITY OF RE
TAILERS
The high price OF fish at retail is wholly at
tributabe to the rapacity OF the retailers. Whole
salcrs have come to DE merely shuttlccocSs which
are knocked about at will by the retailers. When
We sell bue,lsh. for instance for from Sla to 4
cents a pound the retailers want from TO 10 cents
or more a pound and when We sell them steak cod
for or cents pound they want 10 or 10 cents a
pound. 1t is so throughout the whole ganut OF
prices. No matter how cheapiy We sell them sup
plies they sure to charge their customers an
enormous advance. have often had arguments
do not seem to care a rap for either the whole
saers or the consuners 90 long az they can feather
OF hsh at 10 cents pound than 30 pounds at cents
daes wn s @
prices they would stimulate consumption BY sivHg
TO the masses cheap food to which they are en-
titled That would corrcspondingly increase our
business and. OF course, thereby be beneficial TO
and SIN Is. however. repeat with all the en-
phass you choose to put upon my woras ra ne
both to tho wholesalers and TO the general public"
WHAT THE RETAILERS SAY FOR THEM
SELVES
Several leading retailers. both uptown in Sixth
ave and other prominent streets. well as In the
downtown markets. joined sort OF weak gem
er,l denial 10 the outspoken allegations OF the
wholesalers They said substan italy: I'VE al
WAYS reduce our prices when there IL o i?.ut IN
The market, and are now selling flsn rom
20 10 40 per cent cheaper than we we're TWO weeks
ago We don't seek 10 beat down the prices OF the
wholesalers any than dealers IN any other
kind OF merchandise. who Ike US, naturally seek
In buy their stock 10 the best advantage. would
he tstGci IN doing IN taer lines. 1t Is natural
for ms TO refuse 10 take fish that are 80 small as
10 be unmarketablc except among me tens iHeht-
h,uer cass,a and to insist upon having the larger
rncs which are suitable for the consumption OF
our customers. II Is true that we carry some STOCK
IN our icrboxes We are Compelled to do 80 in
order 10 be ready meet the sudden demands or
our customers at all tines. Much OF the stock 80
carried sometimes becomes spoiled before there ~
n demand for II, and then We have TO throw IL
away n, a heavy loss. but we never sell stale nsn
10 our regular customers. or TO any one else II we
buy lOOO pounds OF FISH and our customers take
only one-half o: that quantity, or course we can
ONLY throw the remainder away when II mas D,-
come unstable. one hundred pounds OF fresh ii5h
to-day VIII have sirunk to only nnety-nve POUNDS
tomorrow. Frozen fh5h will keep for a good whe
in rcfrigc RI ting warehouses. where they cannot
thaw hut they will shrink about - per cent IN from
three % 1--WE months. Retailern buy their STOCK al
gross weight but have to sell II at net weignt,
and they lose from 10 TO 30 per cent IN cleaning
and cutting Il up 10 suit customers, according 10
the Kind OF nsh The losses from this cause VIII
average fully 70 per cent. 10 say nothing aDout the
fish that IL spoiled ard thrown away. which makes
the fsh business risky. Then we are under such
heavy expenses for rent ice, delivery wagons. etc.