The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-06-25
FROM A BROKERS'
STANDPOINT
Graphic Description Of the General
Depression in Trade Through
out the Country.
EFFECT ON CANNED GOODS
All LHHhhes Restricted 10 Their Output
Salmon. Particularly. feels the
Demand for Cheap Articles
Alaska Competition.

dered. athletic In appearance. In a dark
blue suit and yachting cap. arrived
yesterday. n guest Of Mr.. J. o. Han
thorn He was j. X. Armsby. the son
Of the founder Of the wholesale COM
mission firm. the ]. X. Armsby Com
pany, Of Chicago. and worldwide fame
The firm is large dealer in Califor-
mia dried and canned fruits. canned
salmon. and all other canned goods.
When questioned by an Astorian rep
resentative concerning the salmon mar
ket in the east. Mr. Armsby said:
There is no demand in the east for
high grade salmon. Neither is there
a large demand for Atlantic coast lob
sters. California fruits and nuts. high
class Spanish olives. and other such
luxuries. The heavy demand is for
cheapness in everything. We are only
commission men. A packer can ask
what he chooses for his goods, but II
is entirely another matter whether we
can sell them. The jobbers who bought
heavily OF last years Columbia river
salmon. were not able to sell out and
had large stocks on hand at the be-
ginning Of this season which had TO be
put out on a falling market. Business
everywhere Is In bad shape. Perhaps
1t is politics and the agitation Of sill
yer: perhaps 1t is over-production: at
any rate l am telling you Of the
present condition OF things, and can
only say that hope matters will
change for the betteer when a Repub-
llcan president is elected and solid
financial basis established.
"As l told the people in California
with whom we are dealing. We are
passing through a period Of low prices,
and while the farmer has been compell-
ed, in California, for instance, by ex-
listing trade conditions, to take low
price for his dried fruit and raisins,
yet the eastern produser and manu-
facturer of food products have been
forced TO do business under precisely
the same circumstances, and the net
results are about on a par with those
realized for your products
The people here who think that we
can sell at last years figures are mis-
taken. There was a large pack Of
salmon last year. and fair one in
prospect this season. which will more
than supply the market on high-grade
goods. Alaska is eating into you hard.
Their last years pack was a big one,
but 1t sold out slick and clean at full
prices, while you had to sacrifice to get
rid Of a part Of yours. Your Columbia
river prices have held up wonderfully
up to the present. and you are to be
congratulated, for everything else went
down during the same time. Canned
corn, which is a staple, three years ago
was worth 80 cents dozen. Now It
is selling at 45. or below cost Canned
three years ago brought 20
cents. Today they sell for 50.
IF your pack on this river was one
half what It was last year. you could
today market 1t at last years figures;
but you cannot market full pack at
those prices, There is one thing you
must remember. A few years ago you
had it all your own way-practically
you had no competition in the salmon
business. Since then, however, there
have been large strides made in salmon
canning on the Sound. in British Col
umbia and Alaska. The output Of the
high grade Columbia goods has not in
creased, while the others have increas-
ed at tremendous rate. Meyers, last |
year, packed $4,000 cases on the Sound, |
and several new canneries have start
ID up there.
You will have to regulate your prod
uct like Alaska does, through close
corporation, limiting the output. They
only make prices in $4,000 case blocks.
The brokers do the rest. The Alaska |
Packers are declaring a one per cent
per month dividend. Don't talk to me
about advertising. Columbia river
salmon is known the world over by
brokers' and dealers as the highest
grade of goods. According to our way
IF thinking, your remedy must be at
lome."