The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1910-05-26
HIGH PRICE OF EGGS.
Packers Cornering Supply to Prevent :.
Substitution for Meat?

With receipts of eggs at this season
reported as largely in excess of last
year dealers throughout the city are
puzzled over the fact that prices are be-
ing kept at a higher figure than during
the corresponding period one year ago.
y report is general among the large
! wholesale dealers in eggs that the meat
! trust has gone into the egg business,
wishing to control this commodity as
well as poultry and fish so as to pre-
| vent any cheap substitutes for meat be-
ing in the market.
| Harry Bryant of G. w. Martin Bros,
when asked regarding the report, said
that there are many indications that
eggs are being cornered out west for the
purpose Of maintaining prices and pre-
venting the wholesale use OF eggs in
place of meat.
Dealers have figures to show that
large quantities of eggs are going into
the storage warehouses in Chicago and
few in New York. The New York deal
erS, it is said, do not dare to pay the
high prices that have been prevailing
Dealers say that although this promises
to be record-breaking year i'll the pro-
duction of eggs, the present prices are as
high as they were a year ago. As heavy
losses were incurred last year by the
spectators in storage eggs, the regular
dealers are said to be unwilling to buy
eggs again at equally high prices and
run risk of repeating the losses of last
year
Total receipts of eggs reported in
Chicago during a recent week were
191, 900 cases of twenty-six dozen eggs
each, as against 10000 cases received
during the same week last year. A
similar increase has been reported for
the three preceding weeks.
Despite this increase in supply eggs
e.oI1 IL.
at from % to 20 cents a dozen for the"
best quality and III Chicago for % to
% cents, the price being al average of
q little more than ] cent higher than
last year
New York dealers, puzzled by the
continuance of high prices in the face
of increased receipts in the west, sent
agents to the western producing states
to get an explanation The reports sent
back by several were that meat pack
ing companies have quietly engaged in
the egg trade. The packers are said
to be paying u and % cents to the west
ern farmers and are putting the eggs.
into the Chicago warehouses. The plan
of the packers, as described, is to take.
sufficient quantities of the eggs, wher-
ever and whenever offered, so as to main
tain prices.
Because of the probability of meat
remaining dear, the packers figured that
cheap eggs would prove too convenient
a substitute, according to the story
among the egg dealers.
This is the time for storing eggs, the.
New York dealers say, if supplies are,
to be held for next fall and winter. But
eggs bought at the present prices cannot
be sold next winter for less than 80,
cents wholesale, because expenses of
the warehouses and interest on the
money call for that much of an advance.
This would mean 80 to 40 cent prices.
at retail.
These were the top prices of last year
and prevailed for only a short time
Many dealers fear that next winter may
turn out more unfavorable than last for
holders of storage eggs, but admit that
the meat packers may keep up the
prices.
The proposed changes in laws govern
ing the cold storage business are also.
worrying the egg dealers.-New York
World.