New-York tribune., 1910-04-13
DISCUSS COLD STORAGE
Butter and Egg Dealers De-
fend 1t.
DENY CONTROL OF MARKET
Investigating Committee Hears
Two New Yorkers-Prosecutor
Garven Commends Lodge Bill.
From The Tribune Bureau


mittee of the Senate which is investigat-
ing the cost of living was informed to-day
by two Of the largest wholesale butter ana
egg dealers of New York that the farmers
have reaped all the advantages of the IN
creased price in those articles. one OF the
witnesses said he thought the price OF but
ter would go still higher. Both OF them
insisted that the law Of supply and demand
vas the controlling factor in the price OF
butter and eggs. and declared II absurd 10
say that any combination or trust con-
trolled the market
The first witness was John A. kunkel.
of 5. S. Long & Brother, No. l2 10 lVo
Warren street. New York. who said ne had
been in the egg business for forty-one
years. He quoted figures showing the aV-
erage yearly wholesale price of esgs since
1895. These figures disclosed o steady rise
from Il 1-3 cents dozen in 1895 10 slightly
more than p cents last year. Mr.. kunkel
defended the use Of cold storage establish
ments for the keeping of eggs, saying
these plants tended 10 equalze the price
and were of benefit 10 the consumer as
well as TO the producer. He said that eggs
could not be kept in cold storage longer
than eight or nine months without de-
terlorating in quality. Asked what would
be the result If the cold storage plants
were wiped out Of existence, Mr.. kunkel
said that at certain seasons Of the year
eggs would sell al from 20 cents
dozen. and at other seasons from 20 cents
TO 81 q dozen. He remembered. he said'
when New York suffered from an egg fam
inc in the days before the cold storage
system had been developed 1t was I'M
possible 70 get eggs in this country. Tne
hens were laying on Prince Edward Island
and he succeeded in getting some eggs
from that place by way of Boston He paid
50 cents a dozen for them and sold them
for - cents dozen.
Mr. Kunkel said that not long ago a
man came to him and said he wanted some
eggs that were not more than three days
old. He wanted them all white. Of good
size and Of the same size. He was willing
to pay % cents a dozen for five cases Of
eggs such as he described. Mr.. Kunkel told
him It was impossible to supply him. as
no hennery in the country could furnish
that quantity Of eggs three days old.
What did he want them for?' asked
Senator Root.
He desired TO supply a millionaire AZ the
Plaza Hotel" replied Mr. KunkeL
Mr. Kunkel said the egg consumers of
Boston are more exacting than those of
New York In New York the trade de-
mands an egg with a white shell, while in
Boston an egg with a brown shell is the
fashion. Mr.. Kunkel said the egg with
brown shell is regarded by experts as a
much better egg. 1t will keep longer, con-
tains a better and frmer yolk and is in
demand by competent COOKS, some of whom
refuse TO use white eggs.
Increase in Butter Prices.
The second witness was John A Walton.
of New York, who has been a wholesale
dealer in butter, eggs and cheese since 1soS
He furnished statistics showing that the
average yearly wholesale selling price OF
butter in New York had increased from %
cents a pound in 1900 to 3G cents last year.
Mr.. Walton said that little Elgin butter
now enters the New York market Most
of the large dealers buy direct from the
CreamerieS Of the Middle West.
Senator Smoot wanted TO know if Mr..
Walton did not think consumers of butter
would he benefited If Congress prohibited
the sale in interstate commerce of butter
held in cold storage more than year.
Mr. Walton said he thought this would
work a great injustice 10 the butter trade.
He had seen butter that had been in cold
storage three years and an expert could not
tell il from butter three months old This
was an extreme case. the witness said, for
il was not customary TO hold butter in
cold storage longer than year. Mr. Wal
ton submitted figures on the butter needs
OF New York. and pointed out that the
shortage Of the supply is responsible for the
increase in the price He mentioned an in
stance Of butter which had come from the
farm Of Levi F. Morton, Of New York. that
had been kept in gold storage for three
years without depreciation.
Fe suggested that the removal of the
tariff on butter would probably result in
importatiuns from Canada and cause
slight drop in the price. He did not advO-
cate the removal OF the tariff, he said,
for it would mean that the farmer would
be the chief sufferer. Mr. Walton said
that the dealers in OleOnargaTine were
partly responsible for the high prices OF
butter. They assisted in putting up the
price in order to make a better market
for their product. There was one indirect
advantage in high prices the witness said,
for sooner or later il meant an increased
production.
Pierre Z. GaTvan. prosecutor OF Hudson
County. y. j.. who conferred ar the Capt
tOl with Representative Kinkead. Of New
Jersey. and Senator Lodge I'm regard TO
pending legislation 10 regulate cold stor-
age, attacked the cold storage system and
praised the work Of the investiga ting com
mittee- He said the cold storage bill, IN
his opinion. was the most important legis-
lation affecting the public interest pro-
posed since the passage Of the pure food
law.
The Investigation iu Hudson County"
he added. demonstrated TO our satisfac-
ton that the cold storage system is an i'm
portant and a controlling factor in pro-
ducing and maintaining the present high
cost of living The big cold storage pack