New-York tribune., 1907-10-27
FINANCE AFFECTS FOOD.
PROFESSIONS CHEAPER.
Bank Runs and Tight Money In
crease Com petition.

has become regular thlng, the eApeCld'i'ii ~
increased expenditure. But strange as it may
seem at first glance, the increase IS lessened
because Of the financial stringency and the
troubles Of the big banking houses
Yes in the pieces de resistance of the holiday
dinners. such as chickens turkeys. ducks and
geese the price will be much less than it would
have been had the banks and the general Pac-
toIian stream of finance been running smoothly.
So the aerial rates Of the feast will be elevated
more materially only by the price of vegetables
fruits and fncidentals. The reason for this con-
dtion is that the speculation in poultry VIII be
curtared. The dealers, who were accustomed
IN ether years TO buying at this season by using
their credit will now be cut off because the
banks from which they formerly obtained credit
cannot at present accommodate them. Hence
the chances for a partial cornering Of the market
are obyated, and the wholesalers in the larger
centres Of distribution will have an opportunity
10 buy at reasonable rates shortly before the
holiday trade begins.
As for other articles that have to do with good
living, the market shows an upward trend, but
which in most cases is not likely to increase be-
fore the last Thursday in November" Butter, for
example, has gone high for the best grades
that its drop this week of three cents a pound
still left it two cents more a pound than ii was
last year. Eggs, too, have gone up, but a drop is
expected after the holidays. that persons who
now lamentlnS the nlSh prices OF retailers
VIII be able in January and February to get
their hennery products at possibly lower figure
than they are paying for the same goods.
Staple vegetables and keeping" fruits about
the same as they We're last year. although North
ern pears and all imported and California fruits
have increased.
Henry Dowie. president of the Poultry Deal
ers' Association, who has been engaged in the
business for more than thirty years. said in dis
cussng the situation yesterday: 1T is pretty
safe TO assume that man who buys this year
the same sort of dinner that he bought last year
viii be obliged to pay more for ii. But that is
only in accordance with the general increase in
the cost of everything. Speaking of poultry,
however, l feel safe in saying that prices
throughout the market will be less than they
were last year, with the exception of broiling
spring turkeys. These called for only by
the most expensive hotel and club trade.
To understand this il is necessary TO under
stand something of the poultry trade First Of
al, II Is not a business that can be consolidated
and controlled. Every time there is an increase
in the prices of chickens and other poultry the
there Is a poultry trust. That is not the case.
The raising of poultry is scattered over a wide
area In fact, New York receives poultry from
AeaIIy every STATE east OF the Rockies Through
the Middle West and the Southwest whence
most OF cur poultry comes, there are buyers who
50 out among me farmers and either purchase
outright or contract for the chickens turkeys
and other fowl Usually at this time of year
the buying doubles and trebles This wear it is
olIIerent The ughtness OF the money market
and the banking difficulties render it very hard
LOT tne buyers TO raise cash for purchases
tHereIofe me farmers in many cases prefer TO
hoid on to their hOcks and wait until nearer the
holiday time before selling.
rms means that, while prices are normally
man now there will be great influx of poultry
Doth before Thanksgiving and Christmas This
-"ll c0nd TO bring down prices. Just at present
Ior instance chickens are II and 1212 cents a
pound, wholesale. That is two cents less than
Ihey were last year about this time. Turkeys
aie quoted, according TO quality from 20 to -
cents a pound, and this covers the wholesale
prices OF last year. Western ducks are from II
10 13 cents pound wholesale and Long Island
ducks from 10 10 IL cents, so that 1t is evident
mere @ mas not been an appreciable increase.
,,i ne tacS I4at spring turkeys, broilers, are
selnhg Ior % Do and 81 pair, like game birds
Is the result Of the cold. wet spring, which re-
lafded the growth Of the turkey chicks and
caused many TO die. A faIlacy of the press re
earolng turkeys is that they are killed and kent
i,,la IA eola storage for many months before the
holiday trade. This is not true The turkeys
tnat were Matched last spring do not attain their
Iuu development until January Of next wear
Inc farmer who wants TO get the most for his
FNeSS puts OF klIllng them late as possible
Ihey are much larger, and therefore bring a
higher price, when killed just before Thanks
shlng than they do If killed at present
The poultry business is so wide that n can
Iol De controlled by any small group of mon
Tor example, 1t would not pay for a big cor
poration to have killing plants scattered al over
the country, and poultry will not stand long
transportation The birds lose weight when
oily great OiSlaQc6 TO the Killing DlanfS
lhey dlIter in that respect from ca1tle and
sheep. So the business is split up all over the
poGIUy producing states, and if chickens and
III Keys are hlgh IN price or low, II is because
OF the natural conditions OF the season.
Another dealer however. took somewhat diff
Ierent view from that Of Mr. DoWie 'GTo he
sure ne said, poultry is just now comDar-
atiVely cheap, but expect there will be a rise
OF Two or three cents pound for the Thanks
Ewing trace. II there is any drop in prices and
think that likely IL will occur after Thanks
giving and viii affect the Christmas and New
Years business, l think, too, that the consumer
viii be obliged to pay three or four cents
Pouna more than he did last Thanksgiving for
The butter and egg situation has been the
supJect OF much comment of late, owing to the
forcing up OF prices and the recent drop from
the high water mark. II. D. Wheeler of tba
firm OF De Winter & Co. which occunies a bIonT
IN Jay street between Greenwich and Washine-
Ton streets. predicted slump in butter. and
storage than ever before.
The best grade Of butter" said Mr.. Wheeler.
5SIeo as creamery special and it is quoted
aC <o12 cents pound wholesale. A year ago
the quotation was 26h cents Yet within the last
month II has dropped about three cents in price
me pF1ce was being forced up because OF com
petition Jobbers wanted so much to get tbe
high grades Of butter that sellers were offered
premiums over the quotations on the Merca ntiia
EAcnange. The premiums were sometimes as
fnuch as two or three cents a pound After one
OF the firms had obtained an injunction re-
strainlng the Issuing Of such quotations by the
exchange, there drop in prices ~
Ihere IS plenty Of butter stored here and
higher all along the line than they were last
year, II looks TO me If they might drop This
winter One reason is that the export trade has
fallen on At the prices quoted abroad there
would be profit in Importing and I think that
New YORK VIII get cheaper butter on this ac-
Regarding eggs Mr.. Wheeler was eousu,
cheefTul. I have seen 1t reported" he said
mat some dealers are charging 80 or 90 cents
gatnered extras. as they are called, are now 2S
cents q dozen wholesale, which is the same price