New-York tribune., 1910-01-31
FISH NOT AFFECTED
PRICES ARE NORMAL.
Neat Boycott Not Taken Ad-
Uantage of By Dealers.

Fish high? Yes higher than they were
two weeks ago. but they may come down
next week. That's one thing about the fsh
trade, it's a big gamble, and you can't get
a line Of quotations to-day that you can be
sure OF tomorrow. 4 heavy storm may
keep the boats at sea or tied up, and then
prices are showed up. A little mild weather
and a few big catches, and down they come
again. The meat boycott? We haven't felt
it yet It certainly hasn't affected our
prices. and doesn't seem likely to-"
That was rather long talk all at once,
for Washington Market is inclined TO brew
ity. carrying it almost to the point of curt
ness where there is no sale in prospect. But
p it seemed as il an exception were being
taken in favor of the inquirer after fish
prices and the conditions of the trade. The
dealer speaking. who handles the lions
share Of the business in his line in the ram
shaczle building in West street, between
Fulton and Vesey, continued:
You see, things have changed in the fish
business as in some others. The boats that
go out from New York are mostly owned
by firms and kept in commission all the
time, the men receiving in addition TO a
certain pay a bonus of a small sum on each
fish caught. That makes ii interesting, es-
peciaIly when a big catch Of bluehsh or
mackerel comes in. But prices are gov
erned entirely by the demand for the fish
we have on hand
'AlI the traffic will bear?" was asked.
We'll. that's one way to put it. But we
can't push prices too high. Take shad, for
instance. There isn't a roe shad in the
market. II there were any we could get s.
apiece for them. There are some nice buck
shad at 70 cents and 81 apiece. Before long
that price will be cut in two Roe would
be worth 81 pair if we had any, but we
cannot get people to take cod or haddock
roe, which are just as good. for a quarter
a pound. But the restaurant man is wise,
and knows that few OF his people can tell
the difference, so he gets shad roe prices
for cod roe, and is satisfied
How about comparing fish with n1eat?"
There is no comparison. Fish is better
and cheaper than meat at the present rates.
Take a good haliout steak, at 20 cents a
pound, and man need not eat two pounds
OF II TO get as much satisfaction and nutri-
ment as he would out Of Accent steak.
IF that is too. high. take cod, haddock or
some of the other fish at 10 cents pound.
or mackerel at 25 cents or oysters at cent
apiece, or CLANS at 10 cents a string OF
twenty Why, we have got meat prices
teaten to a fragile. and our stuff is not cold
storage stuff, either
Does the supply hold up?''
Not always 1 think sometimes that
the supply OF fish in the sea must be grow
ing smaller. Think of the millions more
people there are 10 eat fish now than there
were thirty years ago. Then you could buy
a whole haddock for 10 cents that you
have 10 pay 10 cents pound for now. Then
the catch had TO be sold al once Now. if
there is a glut, there are dryers and salt
ers and picklers and shredders. all ready
TO take the overplus. and 1t seems as If
the more there is caught the more the de-
mand is.
Then the. porgie or menhaden fishermen
have had n bad effect. Their big steam
travis scooped everything in the water, and
il all went to the Oil and fertilizer factories.
Even the food fishes suffered. That is a
hard life for men. and they have begun TO
see that there are more advantages on shore
and are deserving the nets and lines. That
makes II cost more to set the fish But
there is no trust in the business. Prices
have gone up from natural causes. which
would boost them in any line under like
conditions.
Say" he continued. as parting shot.
Isn't there a good deal OF newspaper talk
about that meat boycott?
on being assured that there was a good
deal Of talk but that the talk was justified
by the condition of things, he remarked:
Well don't see what good it's going TO
do. People viii get tired OF going without
meat. and come back after pretty near their
regular supply. and then the packers will
get even with them for this furry They
are not going to lose anything for even If