Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-14


gin market, at price fixed by the Elgin
board. This led to a description of the
operations Of the board.
There is an organization known as the
Elgin board of trade. he said, organized
in 1872, many of the members of which
are creamery proprietorS in the states or
Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa.
Big Reduction in One Day.
The witness explained that the Elgin
people had made reputation for the
best butter, and their prices were fixed
for the best grade.
The straining of the Elgin prices to
high figure. Capt. Oyster told the
in the price of butter of s cents pound
in one day. He presented figures to show
that the Elgin price was 33 cents a
pound the first week In December, and
last Of the month, when 1t was Sc
cents.
There was straining of the mar
ket," declared the witness. On ac-
butter, people shifted to buying storage
and process butter, which Is lower; That
caused some accumulation of the
Elgin product, and the price was
The operation of the board. &C
cording to the testimony, is similar TO
that Of the Chicago Board of Trade,
where grain prices are determined, and
to that OF the New York Stock Elk
change The board gets bids on the
output for butter for the week proceed
ing the Monday t on wh h;ds tne based
the price which the Elgin board fixes.
Price Not Arbitrary.
.erhey don't fix an arbitrary price?'
mo, SIR replied Mr.. Oyster. ''The
board, to my mind, is composed of re-
sponsible and conscientious people"
Can the Elgin board be regarded in
any way as a trust?'' he was asked later.
mo, SIR
Discrimination of the railroads against
Washington Capt. Oyster told the COM
mittee, causes higher prices here than
would otherwise prevail
Il have always thought that Washing
ton was Disseminated against by the rail-
roads, he explained. because things
went to Baltimore cheaper than to Wash
ington. although they had to pass through
Washington
It is the producer. in his opinion, who
is getting the advantage of increased
prices. The merchants who deal in but
ter and eggs. he said. are making less
money than they did ten years ago. The
The dealer. he believes, protects the con-
sumner, because competition is keen and
he has to give customers all he can to
maintain his trade.
Comparison of Prices.
Capt Oyster was asked to compare
present Elgin, prices with those of the
past score or more years, and he fur
nished the committee with a list Of aver
age prices for every year since 1890 His
statistics showed that butter was higher
In the period from 1880 to 1885 than it
Is at present, but 1t is higher now than
1t has been since 1884.
The figures which he presented are as
follows:
1880, 2Sss cents; 1881, 80 cents; 1882.
33 2-3 cents: 1888. 90 cents: 1884, %
cents: 1885, IS 1-3 cents: 1886, 25ss cents:
1897, % 2-3 cents: 1885, 2614 cents; 1889,
IN cents; 1890. 22as cents: 1891. 25 cents:
1892; 2514 cents: 1898, 25s cents; 1894, %
cents; 1895. 2O.6 cents; 1896. 17.3 cents;
1897, 1874 cents: 1898, 1873 cents; 1899,
2O6 cents; 1900. 21.s cents; 1901. 211s
cents. 1902, 241s cents; 1903, 23.4 cents;
24.5 cents. 1907. q % cents; 1908, q
cents. and 1909. unofficial, 70 cents. The
present price Is 81 cents.
Meat Dealer a Witness.
The first witness today was William n.
Poulton Of Baltimore, a meat dealer, who
sells largely to railroad men and machin-
lists. He was asked about the prices at
which he sold various varieties of meat,
and when he came to sausage he ex-
planned that he sold one kind of sausage
at II cents and pork sausage at Is cents.
You refer to pork sausage" remarked
Senator Smoot. What's in this twelve
cent sausage?
That's conundrum," the dealer re-
piled, with smile.
Are working so e. p people using as much much;
later.
mo. sir. / don't think so.'' he replied,
because l am selling more fish.
Pork. the dealer said, has increased
over 100 per cent in price during the
last three years. He used to buy Tor
s cents a pound and sell for 10 cents, he
! said. but now he pays Is cents pound
for it. In other meats he thought the
average increase in price has been about
20 per cent in the last few years.
General Cost of Living.
To supply meats and groceries for a
family of Ave, he said, from SIS to $40
a month must be expended. The cost
would be less ten years ago, he said,
but he could not estimate how much.
The witness was asked il his trade
years ago, and If it were better able to
do So
IF they make more money! he re-
marked. they spend it for moving pic
ture shows
Mr.. ouiton told the committee that
he was making no profit on his meats,
and added that half OF the retailers IN
Baltimore were almost 'brO<e'' and
would be glad to get out Of business.
A Cold Command.