The San Francisco call., 1910-06-01
TRUST METHODS
HIT FISHERS Of
MONTEREY BAY
San Francisco Wholesalers Now
,:=.SSer Indictment Caused
Drop in Prices
Change for Worse Followed
Combination When Independ=
ent Operators Failed
Especial Dispatch 10 The Call

Especial Dispatch 10 The Call
SANTA CRUZ May 31.-None have
sUnered more from the oppression by
the san Francisco fish trust than the
fishermen Of Monterey bay, who are
waiting patiently for deliverance. They
have been hit hard by the trust, which
suddenly put an end TO competition
among the San Francisco buyers and
set low and uniform prices. With the
breaking up OF the trust by District
Attorney Fickert. acting on the evil
dence furnished by The Call, they hope
for an open market and prosperity.
Prices offered here by the San Fran
cisco wholesalers, now indicted, are
materially lower than those paid be-
fore the april disaster. The universal
testimony Of the men IS that the change
fQr the worse came last August They
are all certain as to the month, and
most Of them go further and put it in
the frst part Of August. And at that
time. they say, word was passed down
by the fishers from San Francisco that
the wholesalers there had combined to
control the market.
DATE OF COMBINATION
II was OF j l4N oV lAaA llG AnO6pGnQ-
eut company operating in the northern
bay failed, and the Western and Pala-
DIM companies combined with all of
the deaiers, except Catania brothers.
There are about so fishers going out
from Santa Cruz during the winter and
100 in summer, with as many more at
Monterey and other bay points. They
sen salmon to the two canneries at
Monterey, one Of which is owned by f.
p Booth. now under Indictment as a
director of the Western. and also sup
ply the tables Of the neighbOring towns
and the countryside. When they find
themselves with more fish than the
trade can take they offer the excess to
the san Francisco dealers.
We do the work and those fellows
make the mOney-thats about the size
OF it," is the way F. F. Uhden sums up
the situation.
Uhden is OF American ancestry and
an old time fisherman, with a market
on the Santa Cruz wharf.
Before the trust was formed" he
said today, I'VE used TO get as high as
9 cents for rock cod during Lent. This
season during Lent 5 cents a pound
was the highest price at any time paid
by the trust, and most Of the time it
was much lower. Our cod retailed in
the city for 20 cents.
TRUST CHANGED CONDITIONS
The San Francisco wholesalers used
10 send agents down here before the
trust stopped IL. They would bid
against each other and run up the
price Small firms would send down
orders. But now all is changed. The
trust dealers all pay the same rates
and have scared off the small men. We
have TO send fish up at our own risk
and take what the trust pleases.
Prices run down as low a half
cert. OF course we would rather take
thar than nothing, but it doesn't leave
us anything for our work. The men
AN complain. but can't do anything
The Gail shows how fish has gone
sp in san Francisco since the dealers
began the combine But the trust can't
say we are responsible for that. Every
fisherman here knows that he is get
ring Jess than before the April disas-
ter. when fish used to be cheap in San
Francisco. The trust is robbing US and
san Francisco at the same time"
COMPARISON OF PRICES
Antonio Silva. who has a market on
the wharf here, puts the situation this
way.
When the trust sells our fish for
about y cents in San Francisco it pays
as about > or 3 cents. The kind the
trust sells for Z or cents brings US
about half a cent or a cent"
Silva says that he gets the same
prices and the same treatment from ali
the dealers in the trust, with a steady
beating down in prices. He has to ac-
cept what is offered or let his excess
fish spoil There is no glue factory in
Santa Cruz.
A typical experience with the trust
is related by Louis Perez. Last April
Perez filed an order for 1000 pounds
OF sOles for the Western fish company
at the agreed price OF ? cents a pound.
The shipment was made promptly. But
when the Westerns check came it al
lowed but I cent pound. Perez wrote
back and learned in reply that the
Western couldn't get anything" for
the fish and had to dump them. He
protested and his protest is now on file.
SMALL FIRMS TRADE LOST
In San Francisco the trusts prices
for soles during April ranged from to
cents a pound to the retailers. The
cost of the Santa Cruz fish to the West
ern was 1 cent a pound, together with
the express charge of 75 cents the hun
dred-
Louis and John Perez were partners
until short time ago, but both now
have markets on the Santa Cruz wharf
They say that the Western is the heav-
lest buyer here. Other companies in
the trust send down orders OCCASION
ally But the trade with the small
firms of the north has disappeared.
They are unable to say why they have
lost that class of trade, except as TO
the rumor that it is due TO the black
list.
cTANEODn MAN tn WEn